Jealousy
by Z.A.G
Summary: Yuffie takes a different approach to get Leon to notice her. Jealousy. What better person to use than his own best friend? When Yuffie starts paying more attention to Cloud and less to Leon, she confuses everyone, including herself. CYL,CAL
1. Yuffie

Howdy, Howdy! Okay... This is my first Kingdom Hearts fic. Wait don't run away! Hear me out first. Anyways, as I said, this is my first Kingdom Hearts fic. However, I've been writing fanfiction for the Final Fantasy VII category for a year now. So I think I'll be okay with this fic since it's centered around the Transverse Town gang (Yuffie, Aerith, Leon/Squall) and someone else. Anyways, I don't know if this idea was used yet because I don't read much Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction, I don't know why. Just haven't seen any that caught my eye yet. Anyways, feedback will be appreciated.

Summary- Aerith and Leon couldn't be happier to have their lost friend return to Hallow Bastion. Yuffie doesn't remember him, but she does see a possibility of making Leon hers. Through Jealousy. But when she starts paying less attention to Leon and more to his best friend, she not only confuses herself, but everyone around her. C-Y-L C-A-L.

Disclaimer- Throughout this entire story, I will not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the Final Fantasy characters used in the game.

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Yuffie's Plan

Yuffie was mad, no pissed. There was no doubt about it. Her entire small form shudders with her boiling fury. A ragging fire burns within her, and everything around her seems to just annoy her, feeding her fire, acting like kindling. Yuffie wants to scream, to let the whole world know how angry she is. She would do anything to have some Heartless appear in Hallow Bastion again so she has something to ignite her fury upon. Sadly enough, there are no more Heartless anywhere. Sora and his friends made sure of that.

So what exactly is the reason that brought Yuffie into such a rage? It can all be summed up in a name. That name being, Squall. Of course, Squall, or 'Leon' as he prefers to be called for reasons far beyond Yuffie's understanding, isn't really the one at fault. Yuffie felt he's to blame anyway.

Yuffie, as most people know, is crafty and sneaky. She's stealthy, quick-witted, agile, not so graceful, but she's a hell of a ninja. She's also brave. She'd look fear straight in the eye and laugh, right before she took off screaming. But that's not the point. The point is that even though she's crafty, sneaky, stealthy, quick-witted, agile, and brave; she still couldn't snag herself a boyfriend. At least the guy she wants to be her boyfriend.

Leon isn't exactly looking for a girlfriend, much less a girl like Yuffie. On more than one occasion a day she annoys the living daylights out of him. Maybe he's right. Maybe she is annoying. Maybe she is a selfish brat. Maybe she is just a kid. But she'll be damned if she'd ever believe that. In her mind, she's perfect, for Leon at least. Not that she told him that, or her major crush she's had for him since she's been interested in guys.

Leon isn't exactly the most easiest person to get along with, especially for Yuffie. He seems to make it his hobby to belittle her for every little mistake she makes, or anything dumb she does. He can be cruel sometimes, or rather most of the time; but at other times he can be a softy. Like the time he asks Sora to find the Dalmatian puppies. Over the years after the Heartless appeared, Leon built a fortified wall around his emotions. Hiding them from everyone. The only emotions he allows to slip through is annoyance, anger, and occasionally amusement. This of course, makes him seem like a cold-hearted bastard.

A cold-hearted bastard with a body to die for. It takes all of Yuffie will power not to drool whenever she stares at him. Which happens to be how she spends most of her time during the day. Yuffie's convinced however, that deep down, Leon can be a caring, loving guy. He just needs a girl in his life. A girl like, Yuffie.

'Now if HE only realized this.' Yuffie thought bitterly as she stomps through the halls of Hallow Bastion, not caring if anyone heard her. Even if they did, there's only two people besides herself, Aerith and Leon. Yuffie still doesn't understand why they bothered coming back to Hallow Bastion. She was perfectly happy in Transverse Town. As far as she's concerned, Transverse Town is home, Hallow Bastion is not. She remembers very little of Hallow Bastion, she was just a little girl when they fled. She grew up in Transverse Town. Transverse Town is where her home and friends are.

Hallow Bastion is empty. Too big for the three of them to live alone. And to the young ninja's irritation, it's incredibly capital 'B' BORING! There's nothing to do in Hallow Bastion. There's no shops, no cafes; there isn't anything other than the castle. It's already been one month since Ansem, the former leader of Hallow Bastion and crazed lunatic, was defeated by Sora. Yuffie is already incredibly homesick, which is strange because, technically Hallow Bastion is her home.

Today had been the worst day of Yuffie's life. Even worse than the day the Heartless appeared. Today was the day Yuffie told Leon her feelings. Or tried to anyways. She got as far as saying, 'Squall...' And that's where she froze up, her throat clenching tight, preventing her from saying anything further. Leon had responded however, just like he did every time. He shot her a glare that, in Yuffie's opinion, made him even more desirable. He then proceeded to tell her that his name is Leon and that she's annoying and all that other stuff that Yuffie blocked out as she stood there lost in his icy blue eyes.

Then he walked away. Leaving her standing there looking like a complete fool. She's growing more and more mad with each passing day that Leon doesn't just acknowledge her. Sure he does, when he's shouting at her after she successfully annoys him. But he doesn't acknowledge the fact that she's a young woman with needs. And her needs consist of him. Selfish? Maybe. Does she care what others think? No, only what Leon thinks.

Yuffie had long since accepted the fact that she's a bit of a brat. And that she's not the most appealing girl around, she's more of a tomboy, nothing like Aerith with her flawless beauty and boundless grace. Yuffie tried making Leon fall in love with her. She went as far as trying to act more like Aerith rather than her bratty self, but that came out all wrong. Aerith and Leon had decided she was just going through one of those 'phases'.

'I need a plan... something good. Something sneaky and devious. I need a plan that will make Leon like me... I need..." Yuffie blinks a bit surprised as her stomach rumbles, 'I need something to eat.' She decides to go raid the refrigerator.

After making herself a sandwich, Yuffie walked into the library, needing some place quiet in order to think. Of course she could of gone anywhere. The whole castle is quiet. Leon is outside training like he always does. And Aerith is... Well, Yuffie isn't sure where Aerith is. Cleaning probably. She's not in the library, that much Yuffie does know.

Yuffie sits down at the table on the second floor of the library. Bread crumbs fall onto the wooden table as Yuffie eats her sandwich, not caring whether or not she gets peanut butter or jelly on the table. 'Hmm... let's see here. If I were Squall... What would I want in a girl.' Her first answer was herself, but she knew she was only wishing. 'Maybe my problem is that I'm coming on too strong...' Yuffie ponders the thought. She could believe that he's one of those guys who gets uncomfortable around girls who worship the ground they tread on. 'First thing I need to do is get Squall to notice me more, without getting him mad.'

Yuffie swallows the rest of her sandwich, wishing she brought something to drink so she can wash down the stuck peanut butter in her throat. She'd go get something to drink, if she weren't so lazy at the moment.

Leaning forward, Yuffie rests her chin on the palm of her hand, while she drums her finger on the table with her free hand. 'Maybe I should try something different. What do I know about Squall.' Yuffie stops drumming her fingers as she glances upward in thought, 'Well, Squall prefers to be called Leon, he's the hottest guy I know.' Yuffie takes a minute or so to daydream about Leon, 'Right um.. He thinks I'm an annoying brat.' Yuffie gave a sour look at the thought.

'He thinks I'm weak.' If there's one thing Yuffie despises more than not having Leon as her own is having him, or anyone think she's weak. Leon blamed her when they lost to Sora in the Pegasus Cup. He didn't come right out and say it. But the look he gave her after the defeat was enough. And if it wasn't then the fact that he decided to team up with some other guy during the Hades Cup should be enough. She remembers that day real well.

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Yuffie wandered around coliseum, searching for Leon, "Squall! Where are you!" She shouts amongst the crowds of fighters. She doesn't get a reply, not that she was expecting one. She needs to find Leon quickly so they can sign up for the Hades Cup. This time she'll show him that she isn't a liability. First things first, she needs to find him before registrations close.

That's when she saw him, standing in the middle of the coliseum. He seemed to be talking to someone. 'Since when does Squall have conversations with strangers?' Yuffie asks herself. She shakes herself from her thoughts and hurries over to where Leon is standing. "Hey Squall!" She calls out, much to his annoyance.

"It's Leon." He corrects her, just like every other time she called him by that forbidden name.

"Yeah whatever. Listen, we need to go and register before it closes." Yuffie says hurriedly.

Squall seemed to shift uncomfortably on his feet, his facial expression remains as stone cold as usual, "I already registered."

"Oh? So when are we up?" Yuffie asks, surprised he had registered for her.

"There is no 'we' in this one Yuffie. I already have a partner for this competition."

"Wh-what?" Yuffie replies, hoping she misheard him. Leon just crossed his arms over his chest and turned his gaze away, "B-but, what about me? I'm suppose to be your partner." Yuffie says, on the brink of shouting.

"You were right." A soft masculine voice interrupts Yuffie's rant. It was so soft that she almost missed it.

Yuffie turns her gaze to where the voice had come from. Noticing the man Leon had been talking to for the first time. Yuffie stood there, blinking, a bit surprised at what she saw. A man, a bit younger than Leon, with sunbathed blond spiky hair. A few spiky strands fall over his blue eyes that have a tinge of green in them. Half of his face was hidden behind the crimson cloak he's wearing. Various tears and holes are in his cloak, being an obvious mark that he had been in many battles. He's wearing a strange dark blue uniform that has several straps and buckles on it. He's sporting black leather boots, much like Leon's. On his left hand he's wearing some sort of glove that has claws on the fingertips.

But none of that really grabbed Yuffie's attention. What got Yuffie's attention was the thing protruding from his back. A large black feathery wing. Not two wings, but one that's on his right shoulder. Yuffie's never seen anything like it. For a moment, she thought it might be fake, something he wore to throw off his enemies, that is until it moved. Causing that idea to be thrown out the window.

Yuffie couldn't help but shiver as she stared at him. His eyes and expression seemed void of any emotion. Something he probably trained years to be able to do, to hide his emotions completely from others. Yuffie could feel a sort of, darkness around him. Not the same darkness of that of the Heartless, it was something different. Something Yuffie couldn't quite put her finger on.

Yuffie was tempted to question the man about the wing on his back. But she remembered what he represents. He took her spot as Leon's partner. 'NO ONE' takes her spot. So mustering up enough courage to manage a scowl, Yuffie crosses her arms and says, "And who the heck are you? And what the heck did you mean by 'You were right?'"

Leon and the man share a brief glance. Just their eyes moved to one another for a brief second, Yuffie noticed it, but didn't question it. "My name is, Cloud." The man replies.

"Cloud." Yuffie let the name roll of her tongue with ease, "Mind explaining what you were talking about?" He doesn't give her a reply, "Well?" Yuffie persists.

Leon decided at that moment to answer her question, "He meant that you're annoying. Now would you leave us be? Go find a different partner or something."

Yuffie snaps her gaze towards the annoyed Leon. She graces him with a glare of her own, "Like I need one! I'll show you. I'll register by myself. Than I'll beat you and him." She moves her head, referring over to Cloud as he stands in his spot silently watching the argument.

Leon gave a short laugh, his mouth twitching into an amused half-smile, "You won't reach it passed the sixth round on your own."

"I'll show you!" Yuffie announces before stomping into the direction of the registration table.

Yuffie grinds her teeth in anger at the memory. She doesn't know what was worse that day. Leon getting a different partner. Or the fact that he was right. She didn't make it pass the sixth round. But that's because she had to go up against Sora, Donald, and Goofy in the sixth round. She can honestly say she happy that those three managed to beat Leno and his temporary partner before they could make it to the finals.

Though she felt that Leon was unfair about the whole situation in the coliseum, she forgave him, just like she forgave him for everything else. It still made her mad every time she thought about it though, 'Grr... Stop thinking about it, you dimwit!' Yuffie shouts at herself, 'You're suppose to be coming up with a plan to win Squall.'

Yuffie takes a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, 'Okay... What's every man's greatest weakness?' Yuffie asks herself. She taps her chin in thought with a single finger, 'Hmm... Candy? Oh wait... that's mine... um... Munny? No.. Leon doesn't care about munny that much... Jealousy?' Yuffie blinks at the thought. 'Yeah... Yeah... Jealousy! That's it!' Yuffie grins triumphantly, she stands up from her seat and holds a fist up in the air in victory, "I got it! I'll make him jealous!"

"Make who jealous?"

Yuffie let out a barely audible 'Eep!' Before turning around to see Aerith standing behind her, regarding her with an amused smile, her emerald eyes seeming to sparkle, "Um..." Is the smart thing Yuffie manages to let out before Leon walks in as well.

"I see you found her." Leon states the obvious, referring to the now confused ninja.

"Um..." Yuffie says again, "What's going on?"

"We wished to speak with you Yuffie." Aerith informs her politely.

Yuffie looks around nervously, "If this is about the clogged up toilet, I had nothing to do with it."

Aerith and Leon both share a confused look, "What are you talking about?" Leon asks, a little more than annoyed.

"Nothing!" Yuffie replies quickly. She'd rather not go into the reasons why the toilet is clogged. "So um... what did you want to speak to me about?"

After thinking about what Yuffie said earlier, Aerith speaks up, "Well... Leon and myself have been talking lately."

Yuffie felt a sharp pang in her gut at the comment, "Uh, yeah? and?"

"You see Yuffie." Aerith continues, "We've come to a decision." Yuffie waits patiently, ready for the worst possible scenario. Her toes curl up in her sneakers, she barely hold back herself from shouting 'What is it already?' "We've decided that Hallow Bastion isn't what it used to be. So we want to go back to Transverse Town."

Yuffie blinks once, twice. Then she blinks again, "Huh?"

"We've decided that Transverse Town is a more comfortable place to live, rather in than this castle that's so empty." Aerith explains, in the most simplest words she can use so Yuffie will understand.

"You mean... we're leaving?" Yuffie asks after a moment.

"If you want, you can stay here alone." Leon comments before crossing his arms.

Yuffie chooses to ignore Leon's comment. "This is great! Do you know how boring this place is! I can't wait! When do we leave!" Yuffie practically bounces in excitement, her face glowing with happiness.

Aerith gives a relieved smile, happy that her Yuffie isn't against leaving Hallow Bastion. "Cid is suppose to come pick us up and take us back."

"Great! When will he be here?" Yuffie asks, wanting to get off the world as quickly as possible.

"He was suppose to be here an hour ago." The annoyance in Leon's voice is easily picked up.

"Oh..." Yuffie says slowly.

"He'll be here any moment." Aerith reassures her.

Cid can be another hour late as far as Yuffie is concerned. As long as they get off this world by today. Not only is she going back to a more lively place, but she'll be able to put her plan into action when they reach Transverse Town. She just has to find a guy to use in order to make Leon jealous. 'Hmm... who would be the perfect sap to use?' Yuffie thinks to herself. 'Everyone in Transverse Town is a bit old... I don't want to try and make Leon believe I'm interested in some old fart. He'll think I'm weird. There's Pinocchio... wait... he's just a kid erm... doll.' So her plan isn't as easy as she thought it would be. She needs to find herself a 'sap' as she likes to label them, in order for her plan to work.

"Hey! You guys in here?" Cid's rough voice is hard to forget. The door to the library opens revealing Cid, with a fresh cigarette in between his lips.

"You're late." Leon states, annoyed.

"Don't get your ass in a bind. I had a good excuse. I found someone, had to pick him up before coming here." Before anyone can question who he's talking about, he moves away from the door to let someone else enter.

Yuffie's eyes nearly bulge out of her head. The last person she suspected ever to see again was, Cloud. Aerith gave a surprised gasp before running over to him. He seemed to keep his head bowed shyly as she spoke to him. Leon walked over, a half-smile spreading across his lips. Although Yuffie is confused about how exactly Aerith knows Cloud, one thing is for sure...

Yuffie found her 'Sap'

Okay everyone. That's it for now! Let me know what you think. Need to know if it's worth continuing or not. So until I know, this is it for now. Ta-Ta!


	2. The Ride Home

Holy Crud Muffin! Okay... Honestly.. I did not think I'd get this many reviews. You guys made me so happy! (Tear drops) Hmm... Anyways! Let me reply to you wonderful people!

MasterOfShadows- Erm... (Looks around nervously) If you destroy me, I'll never be able to continue again!

Starfighter48- Alright! I made it to someone's favorites! I hope I updated soon enough for ya!

NeonRaine- lol, yea it's hard to find Cloud/Yuffie fics in this category. Everyone likes Squall/Yuffie fics. I guess because of the whole 'Opposites attract' theory. But you know what? In the Final Fantasy VII category, it was all Vincent'Yuffie fics. Clouffies just started getting popular a few months ago. So maybe one day it will here too! Though... I think I've seen more triangles than just the pairing in this category.. well good ones at least lol. And yes I've decided on a definite pairing. I'm not saying which it is. I'll keep everyone guessing till the very end. Heeheehee!

Twizzielle- Thanks for the compliment!

TheEvilLeprechaun- Liked the coliseum idea, eh? I always wondered what would possess someone like Yuffie to fight alone in the Hades Cup. So I just gave my opinion on the matter lol.

Bronzetoast- lol, I'll see what I can do.

Perfect Abuse- I just hope the rest of the story will be good as well.

Surfredia- Heh,heh. What would happen if you do get bored?

Goggles- Heh... Yup, there sure will be Clouffie moments. As well as Squallies, Clerith, and even Squall/Aerith (Well... Maybe)

Kira Kayano- I continued! 0)

Disclaimer- Uh... didn't I do this thing already? Yea... I definitely did. So I shouldn't have to tell everyone again that I don't own Kingdom Hearts, should I? (Pause) Crap!

_The Ride Home_

Yuffie feels ignored, to say the least. Everyone seems so engrossed with the arrival of Cloud that they seemed to have forgotten that they're suppose to be going to Transverse Town. The strange blond warrior doesn't seem too thrilled with everyone around him asking questions. As a matter of fact, he looks downright miserable.

Yuffie gaze wonders over to Leon. Even the seemingly coldhearted swordsman who usually doesn't converse with people is talking it up. For the first time for a long, long time, he seems happy. Which is something because he didn't seem this happy even after Sora defeated Ansem. Then again, it could be because with the defeat of Ansem, and the disappearance of the Heartless, that leaves Leon without anything to slash to pieces with his Gunblade.

Shifting her gaze from Leon, albeit with much difficulty, Yuffie looks over at Cid. The grumpy old geezer seemed so thrilled to have found Cloud. Why? Yuffie has no idea. Cid couldn't know Cloud. After all, he didn't participate in the tournaments at the Coliseum. This is one of those rare times when Cid isn't passing the time cussing up a storm.

Aerith is the one who confused Yuffie the most however. The loving Flowergirl was almost brought to tears when Cloud walked in. She didn't waste much time to embrace him, as awkward as it must have been with that large black wing on his back. The older woman seems to be shinning with happiness. But one question continued to plague the ninja's mind. 'How the hell does Aerith know Cloud?' She definitely knew him; they were obviously friends. But when did Aerith meet Cloud? She's never left Transverse Town until now since the appearance of the Heartless.

How did Cid or Aerith know him? He's not someone you'd walk up to and strike up conversation with. Yuffie can picture people running away from him once they saw him. He looks like he was risen from a grave. With the shredded crimson cloak, the monstrous wing, and just his emotionless self in general makes him look like a zombie.

'More like a vampire.' Yuffie shivers at the thought. If Cloud really is a vampire then that'll effect her plans a bit. She decides not to think about it for now. First thing's first. They need to go to Transverse Town. Yuffie takes a couple of steps closer to the small group, "Ah-Hem." She tries getting their attention. They don't seem to have heard her though. 'They ARE ignoring me.' Yuffie thinks to herself, causing one of her eyes to twitch. She tries getting their attention this time, "Hey, old people!"

"What Yuffie?" Leon snaps, his blue eyes flipping to an annoyed glare. He's obviously unhappy that their conversation was interrupted.

"Are we still going to Transverse Town or not!" Yuffie asks, waving her arms in the air in exaggeration.

"Transverse Town?" Cloud asks quietly.

Having heard him, Aerith turns her attention back to Cloud, "Cid didn't tell you?" She's still smiling, "We've decided to move back to Transverse Town."

"Why?"

Aerith tilts her head to the side questioningly at the man, "Well... We feel more at home there. Besides, there's no one here. There's people in Transverse Town. Don't you want to be with more people?" Cloud just stared at her, his expressionless mask never slipping.

The room fell into silence, leaving everyone a bit uncomfortable. "Well..." Cid finally speaks up, "If we're going than get your asses into the Gummi Ship. It maybe a tight fit. It's only built to fit four."

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'Tight fit indeed.' Yuffie thinks miserably as she tries to move even further away from the person at her side, even though she's already pressed firmly against the side of the ship. At first she thought that having crammed conditions wouldn't be so bad, especially if she was crammed up next to Leon. Unfortunately for her, he had the largest frame so he sat in the passenger seat in front. Leaving the two person seat in the back for her, Aerith, and Cloud. Cid had managed to fit a two person seat in the gummi ship, but it's impossible to fit a three seaater. The gummi ship isn't large enough. And the back of the ship is filled with luggage so someone can't fit back there.

'This sucks.' Yuffie thinks to herself as the gummi ship takes a sudden jolt, causing the young ninja's stomach to do a flip flop. If there's one thing Yuffie hates more than the Heartless, is any form of transportation. If she's traveling on anything that doesn't involve using her feet, she gets sick. Over the years she's gotten better with her motion sickness; she doesn't throw up anymore, except on a few occasions.

Yuffie shifts in her seat uncomfortably, still trying to move further away from the body next to her. Cloud had taken up a seat between her and Aerith. Yuffie didn't think they would all be able to fit, especially with Cloud's wing. What a surprise it was when Yuffie watched Cloud climb in after her while his wing literally vanished. So the wing isn't really the problem anymore. She'd just rather not be so close to someone she doesn't know.

Aerith didn't seem bothered with the seating arrangements, she just kept her gaze out the window, watching various meteors pass by. Yuffie can just picture Leon smirking in the front at the crammed up trio. If Yuffie didn't feel so sick she'd try to annoy him to get even with him. He should have to suffer with them. Not that, that's the real reason why Yuffie thinks he should be back there.

Yuffie gives a sick groan and clutches her stomach as her stomach feels like it's being constricted. She can feel Cloud shift at her side, perhaps trying to move away from her. She glances up at him. Her brows furrow questioningly at the sight of him. His face seems paler than usual and a fine line of perspiration is formed on his brows. He looks sick, in Yuffie opinion. "Erm... are you alright?" Yuffie asks, sounding as if she's holding the vomit back. She'd rather not find out what would happen to her if she accidentally hurled on him.

Upon hearing her question, Aerith turns away from the mirror to see what the problem is. When she looks at Cloud, she give a sympathetic look, "Cloud, don't tell me you still get motion sickness." He gives a single short nod. Aerith gives a small giggle.

As much as Yuffie loves the concept of someone else suffering along with her; she couldn't help the nagging feeling in her mind at the one word Aerith said, 'Still? Still? What does she mean by still? How would she know if he had motion sickness before?' Yuffie has had enough, too many things are confusing her, and no body seems to be clearing things up with her. So she decides to finally ask the question that's been raging in her head. Turning her gaze over to Aerith, Yuffie asks, "How the heck do you and Cid know Cloud? You guys never went to the Coliseum!"

"Don't be silly Yuffie." Aerith replies laughingly, as if Yuffie were joking. "You know full well he's from Hallow Bastion too."

Yuffie blinked once, twice, then a third time, "What? He is?" She glanced back up to Cloud to see him starring down at her. The conversation seemed to have everyone's conversation, Leon turned in his seat to watch the conversation.

Aerith looked more than surprised, she looked stunned, "Yuffie, don't you remember?"

"Remember what? I was like four when we left Hallow Bastion! I don't remember much from there. Why do you think I don't care that we're leaving the place?" Yuffie exclaims. She turns her gaze back up to Cloud, "So you're from Hallow Bastion?" Cloud nods his head.

Yuffie leans her head side to side in thought. She had her suspicions that he was from how Cid and Aerith knew him. But than there was that one little detail that didn't add up with the rest. She decided to get her answer for that too, "If you're from Hallow Bastion... Than why weren't you with us when we left?"

The effect of her question is something to admire. Aerith kept opening her mouth like a fish trying to breath, seemingly lost for words. Cid cursed as the ship momentarily lost control, Leon, well he just kept that cool and collected expression on. Cloud's gaze fell to the floor of the gummi ship as if he suddenly felt ashamed by something. Something that Yuffie figures has something to do with her question. Maybe she should have asked him when they were alone.

"Well?" Yuffie presses. Cloud turns back to Yuffie, looking as if he's about to answer her question.

"Yuffie." Yuffie turns towards Leon. He shakes his head and says, "Shut up." He turns back into his seat.

Yuffie crosses her arms and sits back in her seat, frowning, 'What was so bad about asking him? I was just curious.' Out of the corner of her eye she kept her gaze on Cloud, studying him. 'He always looks so depressed, it's annoying. You can never tell what he's thinking or feeling thanks to the fact he's damn good at hiding his emotions. He needs to start acting like a normal human being... well as normal as someone with a wing can act.'

Yuffie changed her plans right there and then. While getting Leon jealous through Cloud, she'll try everything in her power to get Cloud to open up and act like a normal guy. After all, it's the least she can do for using him. Yuffie nods her head at the thought, "I'll start once we're settled in Transverse Town."

"Start what, Yuffie?" Aerith asks having heard Yuffie's comment.

"I said that out... I mean...Uh.. nothing!" Yuffie replies, not being able to come up with a quick intelligent lie at the moment. Aerith shakes her head and looks back out the window. Yuffie gives a quick look up at Cloud.

He was looking at her...

That's it everyone! Sorry if it's a little shorter. But this seemed like as good place as any to stop. Hmm, hmm, hmm. So what you think? Good? Bad? Needs work? Well let me know your thoughts. TTNC! (Till The Next Chapter) Review please!


	3. First Night In Traverse Town

Hello everyone! Thanks for all the great reviews! Here's the replies!

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Neon Raine- lol,Yea. A lot of my stories are pretty long. Glad you're enjoying the plot.

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SwT-LiL-AnGeL- Sorry I ended it there. Heh, heh. I'll make it up to ya, I promise.

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Kira Kayono- Heh, heh... Yes it is spelled Traverse Town. I kind of saw that once I read through it again after I uploaded it. Stupid mistake on my part. I'm too lazy to go back and fix it though.

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The Ringbearer Galadriel- Shh, Shh! Don't give anything away. Hee hee hee!

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Annjirika- lol A bit perky ain'tCha? I try to think of how each character would react in every situation. Try to picture their attitudes and behavior.

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LiL Angel Rini- Awe... how could you not like Cloud and Yuffie? (Don't care about Aerith. Not a big fan of her either) Well as long as you like them now, that's cool.

Disclaimer- There's a perfectly good reason why I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, I'd give the Final Fantasy characters more screen time. Especially Cloud, it was sad he had such a small part. Plus I would have killed Donald off, damn duck is always getting in my way. I wouldn't kill Goofy off only because his MP Gift technique.

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First Night In Traverse Town

Ever have a moment where your life seemingly flashed through your eyes as you stared at the face of death? Yuffie did, and boy did she ever want to run away and hide. When you get right down to her, and look at all the details of the event, it wasn't her fault. It was an accident, caused by the cramped conditions of the gummi ship. So what had happened?

Cid had landed the gummi ship outside the entrance to Traverse Town where he usually lands. Now when Cid first built the ship he didn't think it would cause a problem to only have one door in the back. Unfortunately, he never figured Yuffie could cause trouble because of it either.

Yuffie had the bad luck of having the side without the door, so she had to wait in order to get out of the gummi ship. Aerith had managed to jump out of the ship without mishap. Cloud slid across the seat preparing to get out as well. Still half dazed with airsickness, Yuffie began crawling to the other side to wait her turn. Her hands falling on the amazing soft fabric of the cloak Cloud wears. Mesmerized by it's softness, Yuffie picked up the end of it with both her hands, totally unaware of the fact Cloud is about to leap out of the gummi ship.

__

Rirrrrrrrrip!

Yuffie's eyes went wide at the sound of the fabric ripping along the spiky blond haired man's neck. The entire cloak came off and hung loosely at the end of the ship while Yuffie held onto the other end. Before she even glanced up from her hands, Yuffie knew everyone was looking at her, and Cloud would no doubt be giving her a look that told her clearly that he was beyond pissed.

Yuffie looked up anyway, to test her knowledge of her friends. 'Yup.' She tells herself. Everyone had in fact gathered outside the door to stare at her. Aerith's mouth was hanging open as if she couldn't believe what Yuffie just did. Leon's expression looked the same as always except for the slight raise of his eyebrows. Cid, for better or for worse, was trying to hold in his laughter by biting down on his bottom lip.

Yuffie knew what it looks like with her holding the cloak. It makes her look like she grabbed the cloak to purposely have it ripped. She'll probably never hear the end of it. She finally gathered enough courage to glance at Cloud. His lack of reaction seemed worse than any look he could give her. His face were expressionless, his eyes revealed nothing of what he's feeling at the moment. Yuffie did however, notice that he looked a lot younger than she first originally thought. She first thought he was in his late twenties like Leon, but now that half his face isn't hidden behind the cloak, she had to change that observation to early twenties.

He wasn't half bad to look at either...

Kind of cute...

But not as cute as Leon...

Leon always wins in that department...

Yuffie could do little more than hold the cloak out to Cloud, trying to look as innocent as possible. For a moment he stood there unmoving as he stared at the ripped cloth in her hands. Without a word, and with a quicker movement than the young ninja anticipated, Cloud snatched the crimson cloak from her hands. Yuffie bowed her head as she mumbled an apology that seemed pointless since he had already walked away, heading towards the back of the ship to retrieve his things. Or thing ism ore like it. He only had his sword with him.

Feeling a bit guilty, but not too guilty, Yuffie leapt out of the gummi ship, "Smooth Yuffie. Real smooth." Leon commented before going to collect his things.

"It was an accident!" Yuffie immediately defends herself.

Aerith gave Yuffie a small smile, "Of course it was Yuffie." She agrees before heading to where the boys are.

Yuffie let out a defeated sigh, deciding it pointless to try and convince them that she didn't mean it. Cid patted her head a few times, a chuckle erupting from deep in his throat, "That was real good brat. You should have seen the look of Leon's and Aerith's face when you ripped it."

"But I..." Yuffie shakes her head, "Oh forget it." She waves him off and walks over to grab her things. Cloud was digging through the various bags and boxes, handing a few to Leon that had his name on it. At the bottom of the pile he grabbed the hilt of his Sword and picked it up. He grabbed a couple of Aerith's things as well before following Leon towards the entrance of town.

Aerith grabbed what was left of her luggage as Yuffie silently rummaged through Cid's stuff to get her own things. Aerith watched Yuffie for a moment before asking, "So you really don't remember him?" She asks, referring to Hallow Bastion.

The question caused Yuffie to pump her head on the ceiling of the ship as looked up. "Ow." Yuffie rubs the back of her head with a hand, nursing the bump that she knows is going to form later, "Aerith, as far as I'm concerned, the only people I know from Hallow Bastion are you, Leon, and Gramps." She replies referring to Cid as Gramps. "I mean, for all I know, there could have been more people, heck hundreds could fit in that castle. I don't recall ever seeing that many people in the castle though so there had to be what? Six people when you include Cloud and Ansem?"

"Nine."

"Huh?"

"There was nine people." Aerith corrects.

"Really?" Yuffie gave a surprised look.

Aerith smiles and nods her head, "You forgot to count Kairi and her grandmother. Remember? We found out she was from Hallow Bastion too."

"Oh yea." Yuffie says, just remembering, "Wow... that was so weird. And the fact she turned out to be one of the Seven Princesses of Heart. If there had to have been one from Hallow Bastion I would have thought you'd be a princess." Aerith giggles and shrugs her shoulders. "Wait a minute." Yuffie says suddenly.

"What?" Aerith asks.

"Me, You, Leon, Gramps, Cloud, Ansem, Kairi, and Kairi's grandmother..." Yuffie counts on her fingers as she each of the names, "That's only eight Aerith." She points out, "Who else is there?"

"You better hurry Yuffie. Don't want to keep the boys waiting too long." Aerith comments as she walks away.

"Hey! Wait! Who's the... " Yuffie sighs in annoyance as she watches Aerith disappear through the gates. She looks around her searching for her things that she conveniently shoved in large black garbage bags. She threw some of Cid's junk off the ship and found her two bags underneath all the scrap gummi parts. Tossing the first one out the back, she grabs the second and does the same thing, only to have it hit Cid as he appears at the back of the ship, having wondered what's taking Yuffie too long.

"Watch where you're tossing your things, damnit!" Cid shouts annoyed as he picks himself off the ground.

Yuffie jumps out of the ship again, "Watch where your standing, Old Man." Grabbing her bags she wanders off, "Have fun!" She exclaims in a sing along tone. Cid scratched the top of his head as he stared at the mess in the cargo bay of his gummi ship.

-

Leon figured it would be best to head for the hotel. They could stay there for a few days until they could get an apartment of some sort. Looking around Traverse Town, he could already tell that the population of the world already increased quite a bit in such a short time. Houses and more hotels are being constructed everywhere. Leon can only hope that their hotel wasn't booked, or they'll be spending the next few days on the street.

Leon made sure to look back every once and awhile to make sure Cloud hadn't strayed off somewhere. If he does, he'll easily get lost. As far as Leon knows, his silent friend hadn't been to Traverse Town before. "Where are we going?"

The question only surprised Leon because he hadn't expected Cloud to ask anything. He was quick to recover however, "We're heading towards a hotel in the second district. We're good friends with the manager there so we should be able to get a decent price." Cloud merely nodded his understanding. "You know." Leon begins, "You could have asked me for a ride when Yuffie and I left the Coliseum, instead of having Cid pick you up."

"I wasn't done."

Cloud's answer only caused Leon to raise an eyebrow, "We were beaten in the Hades Tournament. The LAST tournament. What do you mean you weren't done?"

"You and I both know I wasn't there for the tournaments."

Leon could only nod in agreement at the comment. "Aerith was worried about you. Nine years without a word from you. We thought you fell to the Heartless."

"I'm fine." Cloud kept his gaze forward, not gracing the people staring at him with even a side glance.

Leon could feel his temper raising with each passing second. He quickened his stride, in hopes of reaching the hotel quicker, "Maybe you were, but we weren't. " The coldness in Leon's voice is unmistakable. He stopped and turned around, causing Cloud to stop as well, "Do you know how hard it was to leave you behind on that planet? We went to hell and back to escape Hallow Bastion knowing you could have died."

Cloud expressionless mask never slipped, not even for the slightest second. However, his usual monotone voice raised a few notches when he replied, "I went to hell and stayed." He stood there and waited for Leon to make another comment. However, the Gunblade specialist turned on his heels as Aerith was drawing nearer, and continued on. Cloud followed silently.

Aerith hurried to Cloud's side, smiling that beautiful smile she gives to everyone she meets, "Once we get everything settled in. I could show you around town if you like. I'll show you where the best restaurants are, and the best place to shop." Cloud gives her a sideward glance before nodding his head once. The smile on Aerith face seems to grow even more with his answer, "Great. You don't have anything else do you? We'll have to go out and get you some clothes or something."

In front of them, Leon couldn't help but smirk. 'He has no clue what he got himself into.' He thinks to himself.

-

Yuffie grumbled as she shoved her way through the crowds, dragging her two enormous bags behind her. It's quite a sight to see someone dragging two bags that are both half her size. To most people she's a hindrance walking on the street. Her enormous bags, although quite light, are bulky, knocking into a few unsuspecting people as Yuffie drags them along the street.

"Can't believe they couldn't wait up for me." Yuffie says out loud, ignoring the rude comments people are shouting at her after bumping into them. "Why am I always the one left behind?" Actually it isn't so much that they left her behind that bothered her. She knows her way around town so she won't get lost. What got her in such a sour mood is the fact that Aerith ran off without answering her question. Of course Aerith might not have heard the question either. Yuffie isn't too sure. But she'd rather not risk asking her again, because what if she did hear her and just chose not to answer?

Yuffie stops in her tracks for a moment to let out a tired sigh, "Where are they anyway?" She asks herself, not expecting the question to be answered. She glances around the busy streets, trying to catch sight of her friends. It would help if she was tall enough to see over everyone's shoulders. 'I hate being short... Why do I have to be short? Aerith isn't short, so why do I have to be?'

"If I were them, where would I go?" 'Home.' Yuffie's eyes brightened, "The hotel!" With new found energy, Yuffie dashed towards the second district, clearing a path as unfortunate people were pushed off to the side by the bags she's dragging. No sooner that she walked into the second district, did she see her friends walk into the hotel.

Sprinting towards the hotel, she bursts through the door, "I'm here, I'm here!" She announces while trying to catch her breath. The group turns around to stare at her, "Thanks for waiting for me." She comments annoyed, "I had to drag these stupid bags all the way from the ship.

Casually, Leon walked over to her, bent down, and picked up the bag on her right, showing her the bottom had ripped open and that there isn't anything in it. Yuffie's face paled at the sight of the empty bag, she thought the bag felt a bit lighter than usual. But she didn't think it ripped. That would mean that most of her clothes were now spread all over Traverse Town. Yuffie screamed.

"What the hell is that racket!" Cid's voice came from the door as he walked into the hotel, his arms filled with clothing. Yuffie jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice. "You dropped your things brat." Cid said handing her things over to her.

Yuffie gratefully grabbed them, "Cid I love you!" She announces.

Cid bent down and picked up another dropped article of clothing. He lifted up the white pajama pants with pink bunny in them into the air as a smirk spread across his lips, "I must admit. I had a hard time deciding whether or not these were yours."

Yuffie's face heats up in embarrassment as she snatched her pajama bottoms from his grasp. Then sweetly she asks, "Did I mention I hate you Gramps?" Cid laughs.

Leon shook his head, "Well, now that we've decided that those are Yuffie's pajamas." Yuffie shot him a glare, "We might as well get to our rooms."

"Later kids. I've still got my shop. I'm be staying there." Cid announced heading towards the exit., "Oh, and Yuffie. Try not to lose the bunny pajama's again. You wouldn't want the whole world to know what you sleep in."

"Shut up old man!" Cid just laughed as he left the hotel.

Seeing that everything seems set, Cloud heads towards the Green Room, his Buster Sword and crimson cloak both hefted up on his shoulder. Carrying his things, Leon heads towards the same room. "Come on Yuffie." Aerith ushers, "Our room is down the hall."

"Our? You mean, I'm not rooming with Leon?" Aerith raised an eyebrow at the question. Yuffie would have smacked herself if her hands weren't full, "I mean... Right.. Our room.. Lead the way!"

-

Yuffie fell down onto her back on the bed, feeling thoroughly exhausted. Aerith was already proving to be a pain to have as a room mate. When they walked into the room, Yuffie just tossed her things off to the side uncaringly, not bothering to use the dresser. Aerith wouldn't stop bothering her until she put away her clothes. So what did she do? She shoved them into the dresser. Again Aerith nagged her until she put her clothes away 'properly'. Leon had never cared to mention that she kept her things laying around. He was the same way. So she could do what she wanted. She could have tossed her clothes all over the place , and he wouldn't have cared.

Not Aerith...

Oh no sir, not Aerith...

Aerith likes to keep everything neat and tidy. It only annoyed Yuffie. Now she'll be living with 'room rules' while she's rooming with Aerith. It's one of the reason why she had roomed with Leon while they stayed in the hotel. Well that and other reasons that she doesn't need to get into.

As Yuffie tried dozing off to sleep, she thought of her plan to get Leon jealous. Already she has a few problems with 'using' Cloud. One being that he's going to be hard to pursway to go anywhere with her. He doesn't seem like the type to go out and have fun. Another problem is Aerith. Even someone as naive as Yuffie was able to tell that Aerith obviously likes Cloud. The poor guy either doesn't notice, or ignores it. Yuffie figures it's the latter.

Than there's always the plan of getting the quiet guy to open up and enjoy life. Which to her right now, seems like a bigger challenge than getting Leon to like her. She doesn't even know where to begin with that plan. Perhaps just hanging out with him will make him break down the seemingly indestructible fortified walls around his emotions. He's worse than Leon when it comes to showing his emotions. It's sad

-

Cloud sat silently as the edge of his bed, watching Leon as he tosses his clothes uncaringly into random drawers in the dresser at the far end of the room. When Leon finished unpacking, he headed over to the empty bed laid down. Crossing his arms under his head, he stared up blankly at the ceiling.

Cloud didn't move once, his form hunched, his chin rested on his hand as his gleaming blue eyes stare down at the green rugged flooring. "I still can't believe we both lost to him." Cloud suddenly comments.

Leon doesn't have to ask 'who' Cloud is referring to. There was only one person who was able to beat the two of them. The young Keyblade Master had surprised both of them. Even when they were teamed up against Sora and his friends, they weren't able to win the fight. Leon had let the fight go a few days after they lost. Cloud however, had not. "Well, he beat everyone in that tournament. No sense thinking it. The past is the past."

"Can't believe I was so weak that I'd lose to a kid."

"We both lost."

"He was filled with so much light. I couldn't see any darkness that touched his heart."

Leon closes his eyes not really interested in the conversation. It was long gone. They lost, there was nothing they could do now. "He was the Keyblade Master for a reason."

"That's what makes him stronger than me. He found the light. I had not. I wasn't strong enough."

Leon opens his eyes as his brows raise in interest. He turns his head to look over at his friend, but he had already laid down, turning his back to him. His sword leaned carefully against the nightstand next to his bed. The fear of the Heartless suddenly appearing and attacking while they sleep obviously hadn't left his mind. Leon decides not to remind him that the Heartless are all gone.

Leon began to wonder what happened to the carefree boy he used to know. The Cloud that used to train with him, despite the fact Leon was seven years older than him. The two used to fight each other, wanting to see how well each had improved. Despite the fact he's younger than him, Cloud had always been able to keep up with him in a fight for a good amount of time. Leon had always came out as the victor, being older he had more endurance and skill. But Cloud had always come back, stronger than the last time he fought him. Always giving Leon a run for his money.

'He had a good mentor.' Leon frowned at the thought.

(Whistles) Oh.. Sorry.. This is the end of the chapter. Heeheehee! Wow za! Six whole pages! Pretty good I'd say. Actually... normally, my chapters for fanfics are about nine pages long. But this one is harder to get the high up since I usually write fics with a lot of fighting in it lol. The action takes up a lot of space. Anyways! Enough of all that. Hurry, hurry! Review if you want something new! That being the next chapter for you! Heeheehee! TTNC!


	4. Beginning Of The Plan

Thanks for all the reviews everyone!

NTRshadow- Auron is in Kingdom Hearts 2? Wow, I didn't know that! That's so cool! Who else is in it, you know? Um... The ninth person is kinda gunna be an important aspect, somewhat... lol Confused?

Hypernated Rikku- lol, You want more, you're getting more. Thanks for reviewing, along with all the other stories you've reviewed lol. You really are following my Final Fantasy related fics, ain'tCha?

DidiKiwi- Heh, heh. It's not like she did it purposely. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter.

Lil Angel Rini- Hee hee hee, That's the nice thing about Cloud. You may not like him at first, but sooner or later you find something about him you can't help but love.

carbuncle- Thanks! Here's the next chapter

Neon Raine- Naw... All reviews are great. The more I get the better I feel. The better I feel, the quicker I update!

The Evil Leprechaun- Hmm... I don't know why... I guess she's just fun to torture Heeheehee!

Aoi-butterfly- Woohoo! Dang straight! Now comes the fun part!

Kirakayano- Yea, I don't like Sora either, As a matter of fact, I only liked the Final Fantasy characters in the game lol.

Annjirika- Hmm... That'll be my new goal! Swinging you over to the Cloud/Yuffie side. Heh heh heh.

SwT-LiL-AnGeL- Sorry I had to make you wait until now. I know you can't stand to wait for me to update this thing.

Wow... so many reviews! I love it! Heh heh. And here I thought this wouldn't get much feedback. glad I started this.

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Beginning Of The Plan

If there's one thing Yuffie can't stand, it's waking up. What's worse is waking up early. Yuffie is in no way, a morning person. Yet she forced to awaken by the sounds in the room. Drawers opening and closing, feet hurriedly shuffling on the carpet. It was enough to drag the tired ninja out of her slumber. For a moment all she did was stare blankly at the ceiling, waiting for her vision to focus.

Yuffie rolls to her side to see who or what had awakened her. Aerith continued to scurry about the room, looking through drawers in her dresser, creating enough ruckus that Yuffie wouldn't be surprised that she woke Leon up next store. Yuffie directs her eyes on the clock hanging above the door connecting their room with the guys. The young ninja gave a small cry when she saw it was only five-thirty in the morning.

Having heard her younger friend, Aerith turns away from the mirror attached to the dresser, and gave her room mate a bright smile. How she could look so energized and happy this early in the morning, Yuffie will never know, "Good morning Yuffie! Did I wake you?" The older woman asks apologetically.

"...No... The alarm clock did." Yuffie comments sarcastically. She raises her covers up over her head, in hopes to block off the light coming from the lamp on the dresser. 'Honestly. Who the heck gets up this early in the morning?'

Aerith gave a quiet giggle at Yuffie's comment, "I'm sorry Yuffie. I just wanted to get ready."

"Ready for what?" Yuffie voice comes out muffled from the covers.

"I'm suppose to be showing Cloud around Traverse Town today." Aerith replies excitedly.

"Aerrrrith... It's five-thirty in the friggen morning! No one wants to get up this early. It's unheard of." Yuffie gave a tired groan from inside her makeshift cocoon. There's a pause in the room before Yuffie sits up straight, "You're going out with Cloud?" She asks a little bit more loudly than she meant.

Aerith tilts her head to the side, a little confused by Yuffie's sudden interest, "Yea, he's never been here before. I figured I'd show him around so he doesn't get lost when he goes out and wanders around."

"Oh..."

"So, how do I look?" Aerith asks extends her arms out at her side for better observation.

Yuffie rolls her eyes at the woman, "You could be dieing from some funky disease and you'd never look bad, Aerith."

"Thanks... I think." She places a finger on her chin as she gazes up at the ceiling in thought, "I wonder if I should wake Cloud up."

"Let the poor guy sleep Aerith. He's probably exhausted from everything." Yuffie comments with a yawn.

"Don't be silly. Cloud never slept in late." Aerith replies with a giggle. Yuffie rolls her eyes. Aerith walks over to the door connecting the rooms together. After a moment's hesitation, Yuffie leaps out of bed and follows Aerith across the room. The two open the door quietly and creep into the room.

'Never slept in late, huh?' Yuffie thinks to herself sarcastically upon seeing Cloud sprawled across the bed, fast asleep. Yuffie gaze wanders over to Leon's empty bed, 'HE on the other hand, is always up early, no matter what day it is.'

Yuffie watches amusedly as Aerith wanders over to Cloud's bed and pokes him gently in the shoulder. The blond swordsman pulled the covers over his head in hopes the intruder would just give up and go away. "Cloud, wake up." Aerith called out gently shaking his shoulder. Yuffie couldn't help but grin at the scene.

Cloud pushes the covers off of himself and sits up. He scratches his spiky locks and yawns. Yuffie can't help but think it was cute. Her attention is caught by the bathroom door opening. Her lowers her head to hide the blush across her face as Leon walks out of the bathroom shirtless.

"What are you two doing over here?" Leon asks, surprised at the sight of them in his room. He raises an eyebrow at the two, "At this time in the morning."

Aerith turns around to look at Leon, the smile never leaving her face. Yuffie had long ago decided Aerith's expression is frozen in a smile considering she's rarely doing anything different, "Good morning Leon. I came to pick Cloud up to show him around town."

The corners of Leon's lips twitch in amusement, "It's nearly six in the morning. The only thing that's going to be opened is the cafe."

"Well that's where we're going first. We're going to get some breakfast. When we're done some other places should be opened." Aerith explains.

Yuffie glances between the two than back over at Cloud. She places a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, "Uh... Aerith. You're going to have to wake Cloud up before you go anywhere." Yuffie manages to say without laughing.

"I already woke.." Aerith turns to look back at Cloud, stopping mid sentence as she sees Cloud fast asleep. She puts her hands on her hips and frowns slightly at him. "Cloud! Wake Up!" Aerithe yells. Cloud jumps awake, almost falling off the bed in the process. He shakes his head to rid himself of the dreariness. Aerith smiles seeing that he's awake, "Good, now hurry up, we're going to be leaving soon."

Cloud nods his head once before getting up and walking towards the bathroom. Yuffie watches him as he closes the door, "Doesn't talk much, does he?" She comments.

"Oh he's just quiet because he's still tired. Once he's wide awake he talk a lot."

Yuffie raises an eyebrow and glances over to Leon. The Gunblade specialist shakes his head and heads over to his dresser. Yuffies looks back at Aerith, "Uh... right. Um.. " Yuffie tries thinking up something smart to say but couldn't think of anything. Than she remembered that she's suppose to put her plan into action, what better time to start when Leon is still in the room? "Um.. were you two like, going out before?"

The question got the desired affect. Leon stopped sorting looking through his clothes, apparently interested in the question while Aerith's face became flushed, "What?" Aerith asks a little embarrassed, "Yuffie, don't be silly. Cloud is just a friend."

Yuffie holds back her smirk, "So...He's available then?" Yuffie folds her arms behind her back and leans forward, smiling innocently.

"Um..." Aerith bites her bottom lip in thought, "I guess it would make him, available that is."

Yuffie nearly jumps out of her skin when there's a sudden crash in the room, caused by Leon slamming his drawer shut, having found a shirt. He turns around and raises an eyebrow at Yuffie, "Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?" Leon asks, his voice neutral.

Yuffie shrugs her shoulders, deciding to play it safe, "Just curious. Can't blame me if I'm curious about someone I'm supposed to know, can you?" Yuffie would have applauded herself for her good acting if she were alone.

Leon's brows raise in surprise, "No, I guess I can't. But you shouldn't ask too many question." Leon warns before heading towards the door.

Yuffie snaps her fingers as an idea crosses her mind, "Hey, Aerith, why not let me show Cloud around? Then you could go with Leon and help search for an apartment?"

Leon stops short and turns around, "How do you know where I'm going?"

Yuffie rolls her eyes at the seemingly stupid question, "Where else would you be heading today? You said you were going to look for an apartment yesterday." Yuffie turns back to Aerith, "So how about it Aerith? This way I can get to know him as much as you two."

"Well..." Aerith trails off a little unsure. After a few moments of hesitation Aerith smiles, "Sure okay. Just don't get him in any trouble."

Yuffie's mouth drops as she pretends to be insulted, "Would I get him in trouble?"

Leon can't help but roll his eyes at that one, "Trouble seems to follow wherever you go."

Yuffie puts her fists on her hips and glares at Leon, "I resent that."

Leon smirks, "I bet." He turns around and heads out the door. After a quick farewell, Aerith leaves to follow him.

Yuffie glances around the room, to make sure there wasn't anyone around to see her. She wanders over to Leon's bed and throws herself down on it, burying her face in his pillow to inhale his scent lingering in it. "Mmm..." Yuffie closes her eyes and smiles as she hugs the pillow to her chest. "Now if only this pillow were the real thing." Yuffie says out loud before giggling.

"What are you doing?"

Yuffie shrieks and jumps right out of the bed, landing a good three feet away from it. She quickly looks over to the bathroom door to see Cloud standing there, looking at her. It took her a moment to process what he had asked, all she remembered was hearing someone speaking in the room while she was in the middle of her daydreaming. When she finally did understand what he asked, she doesn't know how to answer it, so she chooses not to, "Ready?" She asks, feeling as energized as ever.

"Ready?" Cloud repeats quietly.

Yuffie nods her head frantically, "Uh-huh. Aerith decided that I should show you around so she can help Leon find an apartment." Okay, so it's not exactly the truth, but it's not exactly a lie either. She is helping Leon with the apartment hunt, and she IS going to show Cloud around town, whether he likes it or not.

For the longest time, all Cloud did was stand there looking at her blankly, as if what she said had not yet processed through his mind. Than he finally moved over to his bed and picked up the crimson cloak that laid quietly on the nightstand. He put the crimson cloak on and turned back to Yuffie, signaling that he is ready to go.

"Oh, you fixed it." Yuffie comments dejectedly, noticing that the cloak is no longer turn around the neck. Now half his face is hidden from her view again, leaving it even harder for her to figure out what he's thinking, or feeling for that matter. "When did you do that?"

Instead of answering her, Cloud brushes pass her and opening the bedroom door, holding it open for her. Yuffie raises an eyebrow at first before walking out. Cloud closed the door behind him as he followed.

"This here's the cafe." Yuffie says, indicating to the small building with tables set up outside, "You come here to have some food or a drink. Ya know the works." Suddenly her stomach rumbles, causing the ninja to laugh embarrassedly, "And speaking of which, I'm hungry. So we're going to stop here and get some food."

Yuffie scrambles over to one of the empty tables and takes a seat. She waves Cloud over, pointing to the seat across from her. The blond warrior glances around cautiously before wandering over. A waiter walks out almost automatically when they're both seated and drops two menus at the table. Yuffie quickly scans the menu, "Um... I'll take... A short stack, two eggs over easy, French toast, bacon sausage, and uh... a cinnamon bun."

The waiter raises an eyebrow at the girl, wondering how she plans on eating all of it, "And for you uh... sir?" The waiter asks, a little unnerved by Cloud's looks.

"Same." Came Cloud's emotionless reply.

"Okay... And what would you like to drink?" The waiter asks, turning back to Yuffie.

"Orange soda!" Yuffie announces, a grin spreading across her face.

"Uh.. right.." The waiter turns back to Cloud, "Same?" He asks.

Slightly, one of Cloud's eyebrows raise at the question, "Coffee." The waiter grabs the menus telling them that it'll be there in a few minutes. Cloud lowers his gaze and stares at the clean table top.

"So uh..." Yuffie starts, not sure how to start up a conversation with the man across from her, "So uh..." She says again. He raises his head till his eyes are resting on her form. Yuffie shifts in her seat uncomfortably, "So um..."

"You have an interesting beverage choice for breakfast." Cloud comments, surprising Yuffie that he had actually spoken.

Yuffie laughs and scratches her head, "Yea well... Coffee tastes like chalk. And I need my daily dose of sugar to keep me awake." The blond merely nods his head before returning his gaze back to the table top. Yuffie growls in annoyance, "So uh... how old are you anyway?"

"Twenty one."

"Twenty one?" Yuffie's brows shoot up in surprise as she thinks, 'Wow... he's younger than I thought. I knew he was younger than Leon but not that young. Heck he's a year younger than Aerith.' "So your really from Hallow Bastion huh?" She doesn't receive an answer, "Yea, guess we already got that down. So uh.. where have you been then? I know you were at the Coliseum, but you couldn't have been there all this time."

"Searching"

"Searching?" Yuffie scratches her head in confusion, "Searching for what?"

Cloud glances up briefly before returning his gaze to the table, "My light."

'O-k' Yuffie thinks to herself, 'Well he's a little out there isn't he?' Yuffie looks around the cafe, suddenly feeling uncomfortable about where the conversation is heading, "Did you find the switch?" Yuffie asks lamely. She knew he wasn't talking about a light you can turn on and off. But she wasn't one to go into some deep conversation, she tends to get lost in them.

"Yes. Yes I found the switch."

If Yuffie had been more observant, she would have noticed his voice had gone up a notch or to in anger. She either didn't notice or ignored it, "Oh...That's good." Yuffie replies casually, "Did you turn it on?"

"Food's here."

Yuffie attention snaps towards the waiter, sure enough the food is there. Yuffie glances back towards Cloud, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. She has a hunch that he just wanted to avoid the question and used the first excuse that presented itself. Than again, Yuffie is too hungry to care for the details. Once the waiter places their meals on the table she digs in, wolfing down the food like a hungry dog.

Five minutes later, Yuffie leans back in her seat happy to have eaten her fill. "Ah.." Yuffie pats her stomach, "That's better." She glances over to Cloud's side to check out his progress. She disappointed to see that he's still got a long way to go as he eats at a leisurely pace. She leans her head on one hand as she raises her drink until the straw is close enough for her to drink. She watches, bored as Cloud eats his breakfast. She thought about snatching some of his bacon but decided she doesn't know him well enough to know whether or not he'd drive his fork into her hand if she tried.

Cloud was well aware of Yuffie's impatience. He has to admit, he's never seen or heard of anyone eating that much so quickly. He also wonders how she remains so thin if she eats so much. He reaches over to his coffee and picks it up. He stops and stares into the white cup and stares at the black fluid in his cup.

Just the way he likes it, black, no cream, no sugar, as dark as it possibly could be. Because that's what he is, darkness. He's forever trapped in the darkness, without the light. His mind wanders back to a few months ago. Cloud can still hear his voice even after all this time.

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"Finally we meet."

"I was searching for you too."

"Yoohoo Cloudy! Come back to civilization!" Cloud blinks out of his reverie at the sight of Yuffie's hand waving in front of his face. Seeing that he's back from his daydreaming, Yuffie sits back into her seat, "Geez... you were zoned out for who knows how long. You're food's gunna probably be cold now."

"Sorry." Cloud says quietly. He glances back down at the dark liquid in his cup briefly before taking a gulp. He puts it down on the table and looks over to Yuffie. "It's cold."

Sorry everyone! But that's it right now. I know I know. "How could you stop it right there! Grr..." Well... I have a very, very good excuse. And you wanna know what it is? Give me until the next chapter to think up of one and I'll tell you it. TTNC! Review please!


	5. Leon And Aerith

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NTRshadow- Hmm... Interesting. Dang! Now I'm even more psyched up for the sequel. Um... In the Final Mix version of KH, there's a scene where Aerith explains to Sora who Cloud is searching for. I happen to know who that person is.

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PerfectAbuse- Sadly, I did have to end it there. If I hadn't, I don't know where I could have ended

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Lil Angel Rini- Heh, thanks for the comment. Um... I don't know if I can ass fluff, yet at least. I could try for some light fluff. No smoochy- smoocky though lol.

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NeonRaine- Awe... But I don't make you wait too long do I? Plus it wasn't a cliffhanger. I could of been evil and left a cliffie. All reviews are cherished, even flames. Cuz flames are funny to read, though I don't recall ever getting one.

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SwT-LiL-AnGel- My writing is the only neat thing I got then lol. You really think it was funny? I didn't even strive to get as much humor in it. It was more like a more serious chapter.. somewhat.. sort of.. not really. I don't know

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Aoi-butterfly- Hmm... Sadly, no. I'm not putting Tifa in. I'd like to keep the characters that are in the game. Plus, Tifa is hard for me to write for some reason. Also if I threw her into the mix, we wouldn't have triangles anymore, we'd have... uh fours lol.

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Googles- He. I try to always have a good plot. If I don't have one that's interesting, than I'm not even willing to continue it. It'd be too boring if it wasn't a good plot. Truthfully, I have not played the Final Mix version. Someone told me about it an told me the conversation between the two. That particular scene has a certain significance in the fic.

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Zarrel's Darkside- Thanks for the review! Like Living On, eh? I thought it was an original idea. Original ideas are usually everyone's favorites

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Annjirika- Heh, heh... The Yuffie comment, 'Did you find the switch.' was my favorite line in the chapter. After I wrote Cloud's dialogue, I looked around my room and my gaze fell on a light switch. Ding! Light bulb in head turned on. Got an idea!

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KiraKayano- Glad ya liked it. Um... I'll try to make this chapter longer. No promises though.

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HyperatedRikku- Don't die! If ya die, ya can't read me fics no more! You know... I wrote a Final Fantasy X fic. It was a Tidus/Rikku fic. It's in one of my handy dandy notebooks. I was going to post it but it couldn't make my standards. Too... I don't know.. Unrealistic, ya know?

That's it for now! Thanks for all the reviews everyone! So without further ado, I give this next chapter to you.

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Leon And Aerith

Leon left the apartment frustrated. Searching for the right apartment is not an easy task, especially trying to find one within the group's range. Normally, Leon wouldn't have a problem trying to get a price lowered for an apartment. Over the years he's learned how to haggle realtors into giving him a cheaper price. He'd act unimpressed with the place, and point out some 'flaws' in the design of the place, even if there wasn't any. It always works too. No, scratch that. Usually works. It would work if a certain over enthusiastic woman wasn't with him.

They we're halfway through the day and they already checked out four different apartments. Leon's ready to give up after what happened with the last apartment. He was speaking with the realtor, trying to get the price lower on the apartment. He was aiming for a thousand instead of fifteen hundred. Leon could see the man was going to give in, he just needed a little more talking.

In actuality, the apartment was perfect for the group. Two large bedrooms, decent kitchen, full bath, and a living room. They don't need anything else. They'd share the bedrooms and they have so much space that they need something larger. While Leon was bargaining with the realtor, Aerith was walking around the apartment. Then she stepped into the kitchen. That's when everything fell apart.

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"Look at this kitchen! It's wonderful! It has everything we need! Let's get it!"

Leon shook his head at the thought, releasing a tired breath. The realtor's smile broadened when he heard Aerith. Leon knew that the price wasn't going to change after Aerith's display of enthusiasm over a simple kitchen. The sad thing is, Leon knew he should have seen it coming. She had done the same thing at the three previous places. It was always...

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"Look at this bathroom! It's so cute!"

_"Leon! Isn't this a cute little kitchen?"_

"Look Leon! The bedrooms are perfect!"

She always manages to find at least one area in an apartment that is 'Perfect!' or 'Cute!' Honestly, Leon doesn't see how a room can be cute or perfect. A room is a room. If Leon didn't know better, he'd start thinking Aerith is doing it just to try to get a rise out of him. But Leon knows better than that, Aerith is just one of those people who seem to think best of everything, however irritating she can get.

"I still think the last place would have been sufficient." Aerith comments as she follows close behind Leon in the Second District.

Leon stops himself from rolling his eyes, "It was out of our range." He replies.

"You've said that for all the places we've been to so far."

"That's because they've all been out of our range."

"If they were out of our range, why'd we go to them in the first place?" Aerith sounds generally confused.

"...Because I thought we could get it for a lower price. However, I haven't been able to make a bargain with any of them." Leon explains, deciding not go into detail as to WHY he wasn't able to win them over.

"Hmm... Maybe I could get us a cheaper place." Aerith suggests.

At that, Leon does roll his eyes. Trying to break it to her as discreet as possible Leon says, "You're the reason why I wasn't able to get a lower price." Okay, maybe it wasn't discreet, but it got the message across.

"But...I...What do you mean?"

Leon sighs. Sometimes Aerith can be so... "I mean... you show too much interest in a place. Than the people selling it, isn't willing to lower the price." Leon comments as he stops and turns around, crossing his arms over his chest.

Aerith's frowns a bit her brows furrowing in thought, "Well... I like them. What else am I suppose to do?"

Leon closes his eyes and rubs his temples in aggravation. It's been a long day, and it's not over yet. They still have to get over to the next place that he called a meeting for. The first time Aerith had cost them a place, it was amusing somewhat, now it was downright aggravating. "Don't do anything." Leon explains, "Don't talk, don't move. Just do exactly what I say. We're going to check out one more place today. Just follow my lead on this one. Understand?" Leon didn't mean to snap at her, but he's a bit exhausted from the days events. All he wants to do is finish the day up and go back to the hotel.

Aerith looked a bit down for a moment. But she never feels down for long. A few moments later the smile reappears back on her face before she nods her understanding to Leon, "Alright. I'll do as you say."

Even though Leon is a bit doubtful that Aerith could possibly help herself, Leon decides to go with it, and see how it turns out. "Alright. We're heading towards the south end of the district. We're scheduled for a tour of the place in seven minutes."

Aerith nods her head, "Then we should get going."

Leon nods his head and turns around to continue on his way. The two weave around the crowds and stop in front of a small house. From behind, Leon can hear Aerith give an 'Awe...' Turning around, he gives her a look. Aerith just smiles and replies, "We aren't in yet." Leon rolls his eyes and heads towards the front door. Giving three knocks, he stands there and waits for the realtor to open the door.

"Yes, yes! Come on in." A tall moderately built man in his late twenties opens the door. His hair's short and brown. His eyes are a brownish crimson color. The business suite he's wearing looks almost looks to small on him since it's tight around his arms. He flashes the two a smile that looks forced which he obviously trained himself to do for any new 'costumers' that come his way. "Come to look at this house?" He asks.

'Why else would we be hear?' Leon thinks to himself in annoyance. Nevertheless, he answers, "Yes we are."

"I presume you'd like a tour of the place before we get down to business."

Leon can hear the anxiousness in the man's voice. Evidently he wants to make a profit today. Leon looks around the small house. He guesses the room they're standing in is the living room, based on how large it is. It's a good size for the group, enough room to put a couch and a table . Of course they'd have to put a television in too, that way they don't have to listen to Yuffie's constant complaints of not having one again. They could probably add a lazy boy chair also if they need more seats.

Glancing back to the realtor, noticing the man is still waiting for Leon's answer, he nods his head, "Yes we would."

The man nods his head, "Alright, follow me. As you probably already know, this is the living room, large enough for just about anything you want." The man heads down the hallway at the far end of the living room, "There's a small closet on the left." The realtor points to the door, "It's more or less used to hold towels and such since the bathroom is behind this door." The man opens the door that's right across the closet to show them the bathroom, "This place has a full bath. Tub, shower, toilet, sink. The works."

Leon takes a moment to analyze the bathroom. He has to admit, it is nice. A little bit too plain for him though. Not that he actually cares how the bathroom looks. Everything is all white though. The walls have white tiles on them that end at the floor which begins a checkered design of tiles with white and blue ones. There's a large mirror above the sink. A medicine cabinet above the toilet. Looking over his shoulder he glances at Aerith, he can tell she's struggling not to say anything. The corners of her mouth are twitching in excitement.

Leon turns back to the realtor and nods his head, signaling for him to continue on. The man turns around and guides them through the rest of the house, "There's three full sized rooms which you can do what you wish with them. You can make them into your bedrooms or you could make one into an entertainment room." The man stops as the thought crosses his mind. He turns around and glances between the two, "By the way. Are you two... together?"

Aerith blinks a bit at the question, having not expected it, "We're.."

"Yes." Leon cuts her off.

Aerith's blinks slowly in confusion. Her cheeks tinge pink as she glances over to Leon in question. She doesn't say anything however, remembering that she agreed to just do as Leon says if they want to get the house.

"Oh... I thought so. Wasn't sure." The man replies.

"Do you ask everyone about their personal lives?" Leon asks, sounding a bit annoyed. He crosses his arms and taps his foot, giving the realtor the impression that he's becoming impatient.

"Oh no, no, no. I just thought that you two looked... like... such a ... nice couple." The man quickly recovers flashing Leon a smile. Leaning closer to Leon, so only he can hear he adds, "Plus the rooms are large enough for a twin bed."

Leon glares at him, shooting Aerith a brief look. Evidently, she had heard his comment anyway. She's hiding her face in her hands, trying to conceal her bright face. Leon turns his gaze back to the realtor, "I'm sorry to inform you _sir_." Leon says, raising his voice a bit, not having to act angry this time, because he actually is, "Not everybody rushes into things. We still sleep in separate beds... and separate rooms. I'd appreciate it if you kept comments such as that to yourself."

"Oh no no... um... "The man glances around frantically, obviously trying to come up with something before he loses his newest costumers, "The kitchen! The kitchen is this way." He announces before walking back down the hallway. Leon smirks as he follows him. They make their way through the living room again to the open doorway at the left side of the room that opens up into the kitchen.

The realtor walks into the middle of the kitchen and turns to Leon and Aerith, "The kitchen, as you can see, has a refrigerator, a dishwasher, an electric oven, and a lot of cabinets for you to put all your dishes and anything else you can think of. The fridge has a built in freezer and icemaker. There's also a double sink, and there's still room for a kitchen table if you decide to put one in." Leon glances around for a moment before glancing over to Aerith, expecting her to burst out in excitement. To his surprise, all she's doing is giving everything a quick look over. "So..." The realtor trails off.

"How much are you asking for?" Leon cuts to the chase.

"Normally it would be twenty-five hundred. But for you young man, I'll give it to you for, let's say... two thousand a month?" The man smiles broadly.

Leon looks around the kitchen once more, as if contemplating the price. "Hmph." Leon crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow, "We've been to four other places today, each similar to this one. They were asking for less." Leon thinks aloud. "However, they each had their flaws in them that made us turn them down for today. This one, although better, has it's... faults." Leon gives the realtor a look, reminding him of the scene in the hallway, "That's why I'm going to have to say... fifteen hundred a month."

"Fifteen hundred?" The man repeats uncertain, tugging at his collar.

Leon glances over to Aerith again than back to the realtor, "Fifteen hundred sounds fair, does it not?"

The man rubs his neck as he thinks about the price. "Well... "

"If not we can just go back to one of the others that were offering a thousand." Leon adds in.

The realtor smiles suddenly, "Tell ya what. I like you folks. So I'll give it to ya for seventeen fifty. Deal?"

Leon contains his smirk as he turns back to Aerith. There, he gives her one of his half smiles before his expression goes neutral again as he turns back to the realtor, "We'll need a night to think about it." He announces.

"Oh sure! Take as much time as you like. Here's my card." The mans hands Leon a calling card, "By the way. My names Mr. Hyuaga." He holds his hand out.

Leon shakes his hand, "Leon." He looks down at the card and raises an eyebrow, "This says Roger Bacon on it."

Mr. Hyuaga nods his head, "Yes, that's my boss. Call that number if you want the place and he'll contact me."

"I see." Leon puts the card in his pocket and turns to Aerith, "We should get going."

Aerith nods her head, "Yes." She flashes Mr. Hyuaga a smile, which he returns lopsidedly, "Thank you for giving us a tour of this place. It's rather lovely."

"Aerith." Leon calls out as he heads for the door.

Aerith giggles before running after Leon. After they're far enough away, Aertih speaks up, "So?"

Leon shrugs his shoulders, "Might as well get it. It has everything we need. And the price isn't that bad."

Aerith rolls her eyes, "I guessed that much. I mean what do you have to say to me?" Leon shrugs his shoulders. Aerith blows out a irritated breath, blowing a few locks of her hair up from her forehead, "Why did you say we were together?" She finally asks.

"Realtors tend to lower the price for couples. Plus it worked out better since he set himself up with the bedrooms." Leon points out.

"Than why didn't you do that for the others?"

"They never asked." Is Leon's straight reply.

"Oh." Aerith smiles brightly as a new thought crosses her mind, "Cloud is going to be so happy to hear we have a home now."

Leon just shakes his head.

Okay that's it everyone. (Pause) Oh crap! (Jumps out of the way of various objects being tossed at him) Sorry! But if you don't like that news you're not going to like this one. (Clears throat) Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Next week I have HSPA testing, which sucks, and baseball starts Tuesday, and the school play is drawing to a near, it's on April 1st, and we still don't have our lines down. Being the lead sucks, too many long speeches. ANYWAYS! What I'm driving at is that updates are more than likely going to be slowing down. (Runs away) I'M SORRY!

P.S.- Review please! It could drive me to update quicker.


	6. The Cafe Incident

Yes! HSPAs are finally friggen over! I can now breath again! But now baseball started! And I still have the damn play! (Falls off his chair) Ahem.. Anyways.. Replies!

Zarrel's Darkside- Heh heh (Scratches head uncertainly) Um... Sorry 'bout that. I swear I don't mean to make the chapter so short.

Ruby-Weapon- Hee! I'm flattered. I'll admit that I don't read much Kingdom Hearts fics either. None can seem to 'Grab' me, ya know?

NTRshadow- (Confused) Eh? Knew what now? Um... If this is about what I said about Aerith telling Sora who Cloud is searching for. Well, that scene is only in the Final Mix Version, which is in Japan. But anyways! Glad I'm good enough to make it to your favorite author list Sorry if I cut chapter short. But there's a lot of people out there who make shorter chapter than me.

Bubblegum-kissez- Glad you loved the chapter. Hope ya love this one too!

Kirakayano- Phew... Someone out there who knows my pain. I think I aced the math and Literature HSPAs, but the science one. 0P Gaugh! Luckily it's now over.

ChibiYuffie1- Heh heh... By action I don't hope ya mean a sex scene, cuz I've never done one. Glad you think this is cute though.

HypernatedRikku- The Final Mix Version is Kindom Hearts game in Japan. It was redone and had some stuff added to it that the American version had that they didn't. For instance, the game didn't have Sephiroth in it to fight. So Japan added that plus a few other things that the American version doesn't have. The Final Mix Version has two knew keyblades, One-Winged Angel which you get after beating Sephiroth, and Shiva which you get after beating Ice Titan. Then there's a scene between Cloud and Sephiroth that the American version doesn't have and a scene where Aerith explains to Sora who exactly Cloud is searching for. um... My Tidus/Rikku fic was my first attempt at writing. After finishing it, I threw it away because it was just too corny for me to ever post. It never made it to sorry.

Annjrika- Ah... I see someone is good at picking up foreshadows. How will it some back and haunt them indeed? Heeheehee... That's actually an interesting story...

Aoi-butterfly- I was just making things up for their apartment as I went with it. Some of it I made off the top of my head, and things, like their bathroom, is based off of my house lol.

SwT-LiL-AnGeL- Sorry I made Aerith seem annoying. That really wasn't what I was aiming for. I just wanted her to seem really excited about getting their own apartment. Plus I don't have much experience with Aerith's character. In all my Final Fantasy VII fics, Aerith is either already dead, or I kill her off early in the fic. Heh heh... bet that wasn't something you wanted to hear.

Whelp! That's everyone! Thanks again for all the reviews, I love you guys!

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The Café Incident

Leon and Aerith both arrived at the hotel about an hour after their last 'house hunt'. The trip back was mainly traveled in silence. Each not having much to say. "I wonder if Cloud is alright." Aerith thinks aloud.

Leon rolls his eyes, not bothering to remind her that Cloud is capable of taking care of himself. Especially since they're no Heartless left. But then again, if he had to spend the day with Yuffie, Leon can see why Aerith might be a little worried. Trouble seems to follow the ninja wherever she goes. Mostly caused on her own accord. "I'll call tomorrow morning." Leon suddenly says, "If we're fortunate enough, we'll be able to move in by this week."

A smile forms on Aerith's face, "I hope so. The hotel isn't the most spacious place for all of us to stay. Plus it'll be nice not to worry about costs per night and the other guests." Leon shrugs his shoulders. Aerith claps her hands excitedly, "I can't wait to see the expression on their faces when we tell them that we found a new home."

"Probably isn't going to be that great." Leon mutters to himself as the two heads through the hotel doors. "I'm heading for my room." Leon announces. Aerith nods her head and decides to go to the room that Yuffie and herself are sharing.

Leon runs a hand through his long hair before opening up the door to his room. His hand goes to the wall, searching for the light switch, finding it, it flips it on. Immediately, a tired groan echoes in the room, causing the Gunblade specialist to become alert. His eyes give the room a once over, his gaze landing on the bundle underneath Cloud's sheets. Leon relaxes as he recognizes the blond spikes poking out from underneath the covers, "What are you still doing in bed?" Leon asks somewhat confused, "I thought Yuffie was going to show you around town."

Cloud pushes the covers off his head so he could look at the other man, "We made it as far as the cafe. Then we had to come back here." Leon crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow as if asking 'why'. Cloud rubs his eyes with his index finger and thumb, "Yuffie..."

"What do you mean you forgot to bring money?" Aerith asks the girl in bed.

Yuffie scratches the back of her head, smiling a bit nervously, "Well... See... Um... I was a bit too hungry to worry about it at the time. I mean... I thought I had some money! I really did!" Yuffie defends.

Aerith tilts her head to the side in question, "So... Cloud ended up paying?"

"No." Cloud replies quietly. Leon blinks in confusion. Cloud shakes his head, "I've been living at the Coliseum for a long time. Do I look like I have munny?"

Leon has to admit, he does have a point. He really wouldn't have use for munny at the Coliseum. If your in the tournament, the people at the Coliseum supply you with food and a place to stay. So you could actually live quite easily at the Coliseum, that is, if you're a good fighter. "If you didn't pay, then who did?"

Cloud rubs his temples, "No one..."

"You ran from the cafe?" Aerith asks in disbelief. Yuffie gulps and nods her head slowly, "Yuffie! How could you've run out on a meal? The least you could have done was work it off if you didn't have the munny. Or you could have sent Cloud back to grab some while you waited!"

Yuffie scratches her head, "Yeah well.. That's the interesting part. You see... That was what we had planned. Except I was the one who was going to get the munny since I know where it is, while Cloud waited."

Aerith crosses her arms, her fingers drumming on her arm as she waits impatiently, frowning at the ninja, "And?" She presses on.

Yuffie gives an innocent smile, "Heh heh... It didn't quite work out as we planned."

Aerith's eyes narrow in suspicion, "What do you mean?"

"Oh I can't wait to hear this story." Leon comments with the rolls of his eyes.

Cloud resists the urge to glare at him, keeping his face neutral, "Let me start from the beginning..."

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Earlier That Day

Yuffie drummed her fingers on the table as she watched Cloud finish up his meal. She honestly couldn't believe how long it takes for the man to eat one meal. She's beginning to think he's taking his sweet time just to annoy her. 'Wonder how much this is going to cost anyway.' Followed by that thought was Yuffie's exclamation of, "Uh-oh..." Cloud glanced up briefly before continuing on his meal. While Cloud is eating, Yuffie checked all of her pockets quickly, searching for any munny that she may have. Her search was in vain however, she unfortunately found none.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable in her seat. Yuffie straightens up and glances around, 'What am I going to do?' She thought about asking Cloud if he had any, but with one look at him, she quickly analyzed that he doesn't have any. 'Maybe I can make a run for it... no... Everybody in this cafe knows us! GAWD! How could I be so dumb to forget some munny!' Her gaze lands on their waiter as he makes his way towards their table, 'Maybe if I ask REAL nicely, he'll let us off.'

"Everytheen okay?" The waiter asks while adjusting his glasses.

"Y-Yes! Everything is great. Um... I have a question though." Yuffie shifts in her seat uncomfortably.

"Yes? Would you like another drink?"

"No.. nothing like that." Yuffie scratches the back of her head, grinning embarrassedly, "You see.. um... That is... What's your name?"

"What's my name?" The waiter repeats the question in confusion.

Yuffie would have smacked herself if there weren't people around. She decides to just go with it. "Uh, yeah. See, I come here often, I basically know everyone that works here. I haven't seen you before."

"Oh. Well, my names Rick. I just started here last week or so." The waiter replies.

"Oh Rick.." Yuffie gives a uncomfortable laugh, "So where did you used to work?"

"In a factory."

"Oh! And uh... did you make anything interesting?"

"Did we ever!" Rick's voice raises a bit in his excitement. "We made chalk!"

Yuffie blinks a few times, evidently dazed, "Oh, uh... Chalk?" Yuffie asks while trying to find something interesting about making chalk.

Rick nods his head with a grin upon his face, "Yup, we made chalk."

Yuffie nods her head, "Did you make anything else? Or just the chalk?"

Rick shrugs his shoulders, "Just the chalk."

"Just the chalk, uh-huh." Yuffie glances around, trying to think of something else to say, "Um.. and what was your part in the process?"

Rick clears his throat and straightens up, "Why I was an inspector!"

Yuffie could hardly believe how much pride the guy seemed to have about his last position, "Oh? And what does an inspector do?"

Rick shrugs his shoulders, "Sit there and inspect the chalk."

Yuffie forces a smile onto her face, "And... what is it you look for?" Confusion masks Rick's face so Yuffie quickly adds, "Do you look for uh... broken pieces, color variations or what?"

Ricks shrugs again, "We just make sure there is some."

Yuffie gives a dumbfounded look, holding her arms out as if saying, 'What?' "Some what?"

"Some chalk in the crates!"

"Oh. Oh! I get it!" Yuffie chuckles at her own stupidity, "So there's sometimes no chalk in the crates?"

Rick gives her a stupid look, scratching his head, "There's ALWAYS chalk in the crates. They're crates of CHALK. We wouldn't just send crates without chalk in them. Why would we do that?" Rick shakes his head in disbelief.

"So... what is it you do?" Yuffie asks confused.

"What do I do? I make sure there's some chalk in the crates!"

"Oh." Yuffie raises an eyebrow, 'I think this guy inhaled too much chalk dust or something.

"It sounds neat, but it's really not."

"Yeah um.. listen...Could you like... Go away now?" Yuffie tries to ask as kindly as possible.

Rick shrugs his shoulders, "Sure, I'll be back with your check in a few minutes."

Yuffie groans and drops her forehead to the side of the table. 'What an idiot I have for a waiter. I think my IQ just dropped.'

"That... was interesting."

Yuffie sits up straight and glares at Cloud, "Interesting? That guy has a room temperature IQ!" Yuffie sighs and rubs her temples. After starring at the man across from her for a moment, Yuffie decides to go ahead and ask, "Say... you wouldn't happen to have any money on you, would you?"

Cloud's brows raise ever so slightly, "No. You don't have any money." He wasn't asking her, he was merely stating it.

Yuffie gulps nervously before shaking her head, "No, no, no. Of course I do!" She tries to pull off the most innocent smile she can, but it turned out to be just the corner of her lips twitching, as if she was unsure of what she wanted to do. "Um... I need to go..." Yuffie rolls her eyes upward to help her think, "...to the bathroom! Yea! I need to go to the bathroom." Yuffie announces before standing up, "So you just wait here. I'll be right back okay?"

Cloud doesn't respond, although he wouldn't have had time to even if he wanted. Yuffie quickly ran off behind him. Cloud shakes his head after a moment and waits. "Excuse me, waiter?" Cloud glances over to his right to see a young man calling for a waiter's attention, "Where's the bathroom?"

"Sorry. This cafe doesn't have one. You'll have to try somewhere else."

Cloud's eyes narrow in suspicion, 'She didn't have any munny so she left me here to work it off.' If he had to work it off, than she should have to also. He'll find her and drag her back to the cafe. Standing up from his seat, Cloud quickly glances around before heading towards the direction Yuffie went. It doesn't take him long to find her. She's sneaking around the corner of the cafe, evidently she had walked around it so she wouldn't be seen leaving while Cloud had just walked out.

Walking quickly towards the ninja, he reached out and grabbed her arm before she got the chance to take off. Yuffie gave out a loud 'yelp' of surprise before seeing that it's only Cloud. "GAWD! Don't do that! Hey, how'd you manage to sneak up on me?" As an afterthought she asks, "And what're you doing here? You're suppose to be at the table."

"Trying to run off without paying?" Cloud asks coldly.

Yuffie opens her mouth to reply but is cut off. "There they are! Those two officer!" Rick their waiter shouts from the entrance of the cafe. "They left without payeen'!"

"Oh crap!" Yuffie exclaims before taking off.

Cloud glanced from the officer running his way to Yuffie's retreating form. Not really knowing the punishments on this planet, Cloud decides to take a chance and takes off after Yuffie.

Aerith couldn't help but giggle a little at Yuffie, "Oh poor Cloud. You dragged him into trouble." Though she usually takes things seriously, Aerith can't help but find humor in the story.

Yuffie rolls her eyes at the older woman, "I'm so glad you so concerned. It's not like it's my fault. Isn't the guy suppose to pay for the food anyway?"

Aerith shakes her head, an amused smile still on her face, "That's on a date Yuffie. Ans even then, that's not necessarily true. It's just what guys usually do."

"Well how am I suppose to know?"

"Don't worry." Aerith says, "I'll call the owner of the cafe tomorrow morning and ask about the payment. We're regular costumers so I'm sure he'll be alright with this incident." Aerith reassures. Aerith's face brightens as she suddenly remembers what she wants to tell Yuffie, "Oh Yuffie! Guess what?"

"What?"

"Leon and I found a place for us! Leon's going to call about it tomorrow. If we're lucky we'll be able to move in this week! Isn't that great?"

Yuffie smiles and nods her head, "Uh... Yeah... Of course it is Aerith. So what's it like?" Aerith takes a seat on Yuffie's bed and begins telling her all about their new home.

"So we might be moving again sometime this week." Leon explains, having decided to forget about the whole 'cafe incident'. Cloud just nods his head once in understanding. Leon rolls his eyes at the blond haired man, "I'm glad to see you're so excited about it." He comments sarcastically.

"You want me to prance around the room?" Cloud asks, his eyebrows raising slightly.

Leon just rolls his eyes at Cloud, "If I saw you doing that, I'd have to believe my sanity is gone."

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Ring! Ring! Ring! "Hello, Hello?"

"Hey old man! You won't believe it! I sold one today! Ha! And you said I lacked the social skills!"

"Oh? Did you get the asking price for it?"

"Well... Not exactly. There was this couple and I kind of slipped up."

"A couple huh?"

"Yeah... There was this real hot chick."

"Oh no.."

"Yeah..."

"You're hopeless."

"Yeah..."

"... So you slipped up? How much?"

"Um... about seven hundred and fifty dollars."

"Oh... How will I survive now? That money is going to cost me food, I'll waste away till there's-"

"Shut up old man. I don't have time for your exaggerations. I called to tell you that they'll be calling you about the house. When they set up a meeting, contact me and let me know when. Make sure you tell them, "Mr. Hyuaga will meet with them."

"Hyuaga? Sigh... When I said to change you're name, I meant to use something that isn't close to the real thing."

"What? Hyuaga and Hyuga aren't close. They sound completely different."

"You're a nincompoop, Yuri"

"And your a freaky old troll, Roger."

(Whistles innocently) Yeah um... Heh heh. That's the end of this chapter. (Jumps out of the way of the flying tomatoes.) Um wait, wait, wait! Okay. Here's a little trivia question for ya! The people on the phone are not made up characters, they're from a different game however. Who can guess what game? First person to guess correctly gets... um... I'll grant one wish, as long that it doesn't mess with the fic. So no making me kill anyone, and no asking me to make the fic into Clouffie or Squaffie, since that's already been figured out. So other than that, I can make some sort of scene that you want. Well that's it everyone. TTNC! Review please!


	7. Is The Plan Working?

Holy crap! I got a lot of reviews! Thank you everyone! And I apologize for the delay in updating. But here we go!

ChibiYuffie- Well don't you worry. There is sure to be action. I can't do a fic without some action!

Annjirika- Glad you like the dine and ditch scene

Hyperated Rikku- Sorry about throwing away a Tikku. But who knows, maybe some day I'll write another one.

The Ring Bearer Galadriel- Heh,heh. I had to make the waiter dumb. I couldn't resist!

**__**

Nefertieh- _Congratulations! You are the first to guess correctly. I shall grant you one wish. It can be anything besides, picking the pairings of this story. But practically anything other than that is in. You have until the time I update again to make your wish. You can either tell me in a review or you can email it to me. My email is in my profile._

Neon Raine- Yeah... I'm still working on Aerith's character.

Carbuncle- Thanks for the review!

SwT-LiL-AnGeL- I love Shadow Hearts! Both of them. I didn't like the fact that Karin turned out to be Yuri's mother though, that was kind of a let down. I thought those two would get together, but... Anyways! Yes, they do have a special part in this fic. But I'm not saying what it is heehee!

Sakura Angelina- I do make Squall roll his eyes a lot? I guess it all depends on what the situation is. Well, we all have our own interpretations on what type of person Squall is.

Bubblegum-Kissez- Yuri is the realtor and Roger is his boss.

BronzeToast- Heehee, a lot of people seem to like the whole 'light' conversation.

Chillywilly101-Well... the layout is somewhat from my own home, but not exactly. Only the kitchen and bathroom, and kind of the living room are like my home.

Seishin Kibou- Yeah... The chapters are a bit short. Don't worry, there will be action to come, I promise.

Your Inner Eyeball- It was just OK? Damn...

Aniis- Well, here's another chapter for ya!

Vampiegurl- Heh,heh. Glad it amuses you so much

MystiKoorime-Yeah, Yeah. I know there isn't many. We'll just have to wait and see what the pairings come out to be. One thing is for sure though. I'll be having everyone guessing for a long LONG time.

NTRshadow- Oh, a Leon Aerith fan eh?

Cuttie4eva- I guess Yuffie is in character. That's good. I like to try and keep everyone in character.

Blood Darkness- Hmm... another Leon Aerith fan... Hmm... Hmm... Glad you like the story so far.

Phew! Got that done! Alright... On with the chapter!

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts!

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Is The Plan Working?

Yuffie grumbled a bit as she continued to scrub the dirt dishes in the sink, her arms feeling like they want to fall off from all the scrubbing. She can't really see why she has to scrub dishes for a week at the cafe when Aerith paid the bill her and Cloud ran out on. _Be thankful that the manager is wiling to forgive you_ That's what Aerith had told her when she complained about the whole 'arrangement.'

The deal was that her and Cloud would have to work in the kitchen for a whole week at the cafe, scrubbing the dirty dishes, even though the bill was paid. The manager didn't band them from ever coming back, only because they all basically knew each other. But Yuffie still doesn't see why she's being punished. Especially since she wasn't originally running out on the bill. She was simply going back to the hotel to get some money to pay for it.

'It's Cloud's fault!' Yuffie had told herself this countless times already, 'If he had just stayed where I left him, none of this would have happened!' Yuffie had never really been punished before, and she doesn't plan on ever being punished again. For the moment, Cloud's on the top of her list of 'Who To Get Back.' If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be stuck cleaning dishes.

Her hands are all wrinkling up from being in dirty water for so long. Her shirt is soaked from the water splashing at her when ever she tosses a new dish into the sink. She has soap bubbles sticking to her head, and her arms are sore. To top things off, she's running out of places to put dry dishes. The counter on her right has dirty dishes stacked, while the counter on her left is full of wet clean dishes. She doesn't have anywhere else to put them.

'At least somewhere around here, Cloud is getting his.' The thought alone was enough to bring some shred of happiness to Yuffie. After cleaning another plate, Yuffie shrugs her shoulders and places it on the floor, deciding that's as good place as any.

Cloud stood there, starring down in the water, his own image reflecting off the surface of the water. He had intelligently decided not to wear his crimson garment when doing this job. In the back of his mind, he knew that he should be working instead of starring down into the most unsanitary thing he's ever laid eyes on. How, exactly, anyone brought themselves near this thing is beyond the blond warrior. Just standing three feet away, the smell is enough to make someone gag.

Cloud made a mental note that he'll never go into a cafe with Yuffie again without making sure one of them has some munny. He didn't put up an argument when Aerith told him that he would be helping around the cafe as punishment for running out on the bill. He supposed they had a justified reason for making him work even though the food was paid for. He thought he would be scrubbing dishes though. This is a little unjustified if you ask him. And to top things off, when he's finished, he's got to help lug all of their belongings from the hotel to their apartment. Why can't he just take his own stuff while everyone else takes their own.

If Cloud was one to complain or voice his thoughts, he would be saying, 'Eww...' Plus a few profanities that would follow that up. But Cloud chooses to keep his thoughts to himself. So with his handy plunger in one hand, and the toilet scrubber in his other, Cloud marches into the stall, hell bent on cleaning the most vile thing he unfortunately has lain his eyes on.

"No no no! What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Yuffie turns around from the sink, her gaze landing on the manager as he marches towards her, his arms flailing about him in exasperation.

"Why are you putting my clean dishes on the dirty floor? Wrong! All Wrong!"

Yuffie blinks and stares down about her feet where several plates, bowls, and silverware are scattered across the floor, "Well, there isn't any other place to put them, so..." Yuffie trails off, not knowing what else to say.

"In the cabinets! Put them in the cabinets!"

Yuffie's mouth forms an O. The manager points at the dishes on the floor, "You clean these again and then put them in the cabinets!" With that order, he turns away to go check on his real employees.

Yuffie's eyes narrow in annoyance as she watches the manager walk away. 'Clean them again?' Yuffie sticks her tongue out before dropping the nearly degraded sponge in the sink. Picking up a stack of plates on the floor, she balances them on one hand while opening up a cabinet with the other so she can place the plate in. After several minutes, Yuffie manages to get all the dishes into the cabinets.

Once all the dishes are put away, Yuffie's eyes shine with mischief, 'Well, he did say clean them again. Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!' Yuffie grabs the hose off of the sink and aims it towards the dishes in the cabinet. With a squeeze of the trigger, Yuffie sprays water at the dishes, and the entire cabinet for that matter. Once convinced that the dishes are now 'cleaned', Yuffie puts the hose back and grins. "There! All clean! And since I'm finished with all the dishes, I can leave!"

After taking a few moments to dry her hands, Yuffie heads out of the kitchen, leaving begin a soaking wet soapy mess around the sink, not having taken the extra time to clean that mess up. Once gone, the manager walks back in the kitchen to see if Yuffie had done what she was told. Upon seeing that the entire cabinet is dripping water, the man's eyes widen in shock, "What did she do?" He quickly walks over towards the sink, ignoring the fact that the tile flooring is potentially dangerous when wet and soapy. "That girl needs to learn some- whoa!" The manager's feet slip out from under him and he crashes onto the floor.

Sweat rolled down Cloud's brows as he viciously scrubs the toilet bowl with his brush. With brows furrowed in aggravation, the blond warrior scrapes the lime and mildew building up on the side of the toilet bowl. A layer of soap suds float on the surface of the water in the toilet from lime away Cloud had squirted into the toilet bowl. In his mind, he was fighting a losing battle. There didn't seem an end to the scum that had built up over the months without cleaning.

He remains strong however, hell bent on getting at least this one toilet clean enough to see the white marble underneath the protective layer of grime. He had long since gotten used to the foul odor in the stall, so it's not as uncomfortable as it was when he first entered. To Cloud, this is just another way to test his strength, and if not that, then his willpower. Which will give out first? His will to win or the lime around the bowl. Cloud has no intention of giving up yet. He's convinced that he'll see the white marble with just a few more scrubs. Of course, he had been telling himself that for the last fifteen minutes of scrubbing, just to keep himself going.

Cloud honestly can't figure out what kind of establishment would let something get as bad as this bathroom. He has to wonder if the health inspection agency has been around to check this place out recently. If they had, they obviously missed the restroom. Cloud could have sworn he saw a cockroach at one point or another.

Grinding his teeth together, Cloud begins to scrub harder, his blue eyes glaring into the toilet bowl, mentally cursing it's resistance. He can't really say he's scrubbed a toilet before, it's a new experience for him, but that doesn't mean he'll give up. If there's some special technique involved to make a toilet clean, Cloud will find it before he goes back to the hotel. Even though he can feel his muscles scream in protest, Cloud pressed on. There were only few things Cloud had given up in his life, and this wasn't going to be one of them. To give up would mean to admit weakness, and Cloud would rather die a million deaths then to admit that again.

The aggravation disappeared from Cloud's eyes as they go blank. He can still here the clashing of metal in his ears as if it were happening right then and there. He can recall the same pain he felt when he was nearly given Death's Kiss. And the blood. He can recall the blood clearly around him. On his blade. On his clothes. On the ground. On his hands...

Cloud shakes himself from his thoughts and looks back down into the toilet bowl. His gaze locks on the small white portion of marble free of lime. "Light..." Cloud blinks before he begins scrubbing the toilet again with a new found vigor.

"So you'll take it?" Leon hears the realtor's voice on the phone.

"Yes, we've decided to buy." Leon replies casually.

"Well great! I'll put a key under the doormat, you can bring your stuff down whenever you like. Just bring the munny down to the address on that card I gave you and we'll be set."

"Right." Leon hangs up the phone without another word. The gunblade specialist walks over to his bed in the room he's sharing with Cloud in the hotel, and sits himself down. Now all he has to do is wait for everyone to get back so they can begin their move. 'It'll be nice not having to pay each night to sleep in a bed.' Was one thought in Leon's mind.

Leon had began to wonder why no one had bought the place before he did. It's a decent place with a fair price. Traverse Town has so many people bustling around it's a surprise that he was able to find any houses that weren't bought or rented out already. It seems like there's new arrivals at Traverse Town every time he steps out of the hotel. It's no wonder why the town is getting bigger. 'It's more like a city now.' Leon mentally corrects the idea. 'I can just imagine this place being renamed Traverse City.'

Crossing his arms behind his head, Leon lays down on his back and stares up at the ceiling, waiting for time to tic by. He always cherishes times he has to himself, when nothing bothers him. He hadn't had such 'alone' time for so long. He had to deal with Yuffie always making a ruckus and following him everywhere he went. He'd try hiding from her, and she'd somehow find him one way or another.

Now he's alone, and although it's quiet, he also finds it rather boring. He just wishes the time would pass by more quickly so Cloud and Yuffie finish up, and then they'll be able to move into their new place. He'd rather get the moving down and over with as soon as possible instead of lounging around doing nothing. So he's just left waiting for someone to get back.

Luckily for Leon, he doesn't have to wait long. Not ten minutes after laying on his bed does the door swing open in such a force that the doorknob left a small indentation in the wall when it hit. Yuffie literally dragged herself into the room and threw herself on the empty bed, totally disregarding the fact that she's still wet from doing all those dishes.

"That's not your bed." Leon calls out after watching the teenager bury herself under the blankets.

"Mmm... I don't care." Yuffie's muffled voice comes from underneath the blankets. "Not like we're staying here another night anyway.

"You should pack your things up."

Yuffie let out a groan before replying, "Aerith can do it." She could practically feel the glare she knows Leon is directing at her. She doesn't care though, her arms are too sore and tired from scrubbing to try to pack things up. She'd rather stay under the blankets the rest of the day and night for that matter. Although she feels a little dumb for walking in the wrong room. Her mind most not have been following her. She forgot again that she's sharing a room with Aerith and NOT Leon. "I'm staying here for the rest of the night!" Yuffie announces.

"And delay us?" Leon's voice comes out in annoyance, "We'd have to stay here another night just because you're too lazy to get ready."

"I don't care."

"We'll have to pay for another night."

"I don't care."

"We should be conserving our munny until we actually get jobs."

"I don't care." After a moment Yuffie adds, "I'm not moving."

Leon swings his legs over the side of his bed and sits up to stare at the lump under the blanket, "If we stay another night, where would Cloud sleep if you don't plan on moving?"

"He can go sleep in that girly pink bed that I had to use." Underneath the blanket, Yuffie smirks as a sudden idea goes through her mind, "But if he's against that, then he can just share the bed with me. I wouldn't mind at all." Yuffie just wishes she could see the expression on Leon's face after that comment. True that's not something she'd usually say, but if she wants her plan to work, she has to suck it up and start acting up.

"Whatever."

'Ah... Did I strike a nerve?' Yuffie could almost swear that she could make out the slight shift in his tone. Is he jealous? Or just angry? Yuffie could only grin under the blankets, her heart beating quicker from the amusement, 'Score one for Yuffie!' The teenager shouts in her mind.

"I'd choose to sleep on the floor."

Yuffie's face quickly heats up at the sound of Cloud's voice. 'Oh my GAWD! He heard me! And hey! When did he get here?' Yuffie wished she kept her mouth shut. She listened to Cloud's footsteps as he walked towards the bed. Her breath caught in her throat when he stopped at the side of the bed, her whole body became frozen as she waited for him to do something, anything.

A dull scrapping echoes in her ears as Cloud drags something sharp across the floor. Then the sound of clothing being shuffled around follows. Yuffie let's out the breath she's holding as Cloud walks away from the bed, evidently having retrieved what he wanted. Having heard him leave the room, Yuffie pushes the blankets off of her, her face contorted into a scowl, "You know Squall, you could have told me he-" Yuffie stops short, suddenly realizing that Leon is nowhere in the room. Yuffie's face brightens, 'Is it working?' her mood increased tremendously.

Jumping out of the bed, not giving a care about the blankets now thrown across the floor, Yuffie literally skips all the way to the room her an Aerith are sharing, humming a soft tune to herself. Being in a better mood now, she figures she could pack up her things again for the final move. Opening up the door, Yuffie enters her gaze immediately landing on Aerith, who's standing in the middle of the room finishing up the job of closing an overloaded suitcase.

Aerith turns her head towards Yuffie when she hears someone walk into the room. Aerith flashes the teenager a smile, "Oh Yuffie. I finished pacing up our stuff. We can leave anytime now."

Yuffie begins laughing, quiet at first, before the whole room seemed to fill with her laughter. 'Why am I not surprised?'

"This is it." Leon announced as he opened up the door to their new 'home.' Aerith and Cloud walked in right away, without hesitation. Yuffie however, glanced in cautiously at first, as if expecting something to jump out of the house and surprise them. Leon raised his eyebrows at the ninja girl. Seeing his look, Yuffie glanced up at him and grinned a bit embarrassed before walking in also.

"There isn't much here." Yuffie said immediately, observing the lack of furnishing, pictures, and other things a home is suppose to have.

"Well of course there isn't. We have to go out and buy the furniture first Yuffie." Aerith comments amusedly.

Yuffie rolls her eyes, "So where are we suppose to sleep if there isn't any beds?"

"On the floor, where else?" Leon answers, dropping some luggage at the side of the door.

"You mean I left a cozy warm bed in the hotel to come here and sleep on the uncomfortable cold floor?" Yuffie whines.

"Nobody said you had to leave the hotel." Leon replies coldly.

Yuffie jabs a finger at him, "But you said that I... You said... Agh!... Squall! You're an idiot!"

"It's Leon."

Yuffie's eyebrow twitches in annoyance. She takes a deep steady breath to calm her anger before it boils over. Out of the corner of her eye she sees the blonde in the crimson cloak head down the hall to see what else the place has for them. 'Glad to see SOMEONE is taking the situation so easily.' Yuffie's stomach growls, reminding her that she hadn't eaten all day, "I'm hungry." She announces.

"No surprise there. You're always hungry." Leon comments.

"Oh! Let's go out for diner!" Aerith suggests cheerfully, "It can be our way to celebrate having our new home!"

"As long as we're not going to the cafe, I'm all for it!" Yuffie replies.

"If you didn't try and steal a meal you wouldn't have a reason to be afraid." Leon comments.

"Hey! I'm not afraid! I... I just don't want to go to the same place we always do!"

"Well, I'll go get Cloud." Aerith announces heading down the hall where Cloud had gone.

"Wait!" Yuffie jumps in front of Aerith's path, holding her hands out to signal her to stop, "I'll get him." Yuffie says quickly.

"Why?" Leon's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"Um..." Yuffie bites her bottom lip in thought, "Because I just want to!" Yuffie replies loudly, flailing her arms above her head in exaggeration. Without waiting a moment for another word to be spoken, Yuffie quickly ran down the hall and entered the room she saw Cloud enter before.

"She's acting weirder than usual." Leon comments as he waits for Yuffie to come back with Cloud.

Aerith gives a small giggle, "I think she has a little crush on Cloud." Aerith suggests, although her tone would imply humor, she certainly didn't feel it. If anything, she felt a little threatened for some reason.

"I doubt it." Leon replies, "She's never been interested in anybody." Even though he sounded so sure of himself, he couldn't help but feel a little angry. For what reason, Leon doesn't know.

"Really? Then what do you think is making her act like this?"

Leon gave a light shrug of his shoulders, "She's probably trying to get to know him since she knows she's suppose to know him. In any case, I really don't care."

Aerith crossed her arms over her chest while giving Leon a skeptical look, "Right."

"Cloud?" Yuffie whispers in the dark room. 'We really need to get some lamps for some light.' Yuffie thinks to herself as she squints in the darkness, trying to find any recognizable outline. "Clo--ud?" A grin appears on Yuffie's face before she calls out again, "Cloudy?"

"Don't call me that." Yuffie gave a small jump, surprised at the sudden voice that sleeked it's way out of the darkness. Out of the corner of her eye, Yuffie caught movement. A moment later she's able to make out the figure of Cloud. "What do you want?"

"Uh..." Yuffie drew a blank, haven't suddenly forgotten why she is there, "Oh! Um... Aerith suggested we all go out to diner to celebrate our new home, or something like that." Even in the darkness, Yuffie could faintly make out the color of Cloud's eyes, which seemingly glow faintly in the darkness. He didn't give a reply, nor did he move, "And we want you to come." Yuffie adds at last.

"I'm not hungry."

Yuffie raises an eyebrow at him, "You haven't eaten since yesterday at the cafe. As far as I know at least. So don't tell me you're not hungry."

"...I don't want to go."

"Why?"

"Because I don't"

"Why?"

"Because I'm not hungry."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not."

"Why?"

"Stop asking me 'why?'"

Yuffie keeps the grin threatening to appear on her face down, "Why?"

"..."

"Cloud?"

"..."

"Cloudy?"

"I said don't call me that."

"Why?"

"..."

Yuffie lets out a tired sigh, "Look, either you come or I'll stay behind and continue to call you that all night. Besides, we can't very well go out and celebrate with someone missing."

"...Fine."

"Really? You'll go?" Yuffie didn't think he'd actually change his mind. 'I'm getting better at this.' Yuffie thinks to herself. Cloud doesn't answer her question, he just brushes passed her and heads out the room to get back to the front door. Yuffie grins to herself and follows the blond man.


	8. Blinded By Anger

Alright, honestly, I wasn't planning on doing the dinner scene, it seemed a bit pointless and boring to do. But... After some care planning, and thinking, heh.. I came up with something. So yup, the dinner scene is being done!

Vampiegurl- lol, great to know that you're so happy when I update. Can only imagine what you did this time.

Blood Darkness- Thanks

Annjirika- Are your eyes bulging from your skull? lol

MystiKoorime- Heh heh, Toilet cleaner Cloud. Yup, can't say it's fun to clean a toilet.

zeldagirl1335- Unfortunately I can't tell you the pairings. Don't want to give away the surprise. Plus I haven't totally decided yet. Depends on how the story progresses I guess.

BronzeToast- Yeah... I probably should get a beta reader... But... To be honest... I don't know what that it lol. Sigh... I feel stupid now.. It's fun to pick on Cloudy!

Aoi-Butterfly- Nah, it's not rude. It is slow. The way I see it, relationships don't just suddenly happen. And Leon is a bit difficult to work with, as well as Cloud when it comes to making them get in a relationship. They're both... well... It's hard to explain really, it's just not something you can rush unless you want it to be sloppy. Also... My whole fic so far has only taken place within about two or three days lol. But don't worry, you'll be seeing more and more things as the fic goes on.

AngelKairi- It's Z.A.G. lol. Flattered the fic makes you want to dance around. Um, I'm working on the "Twinges" as you call them, for Leon. The whole table setup thing is a good idea, but... Well, you'll see what's happening as you read on.

ChibiYuffie- Well, ya got to put things into perspective. Cloud is like an antisocial, doesn't want to be talked to, type of guy right now. So of course they ain't clicking. But than again, if you look at the Leon and Yuffie part, that isn't exactly clicking either lol. Yuffie just has trouble clicking with guys I guess.

HyperatedRikku- Well, at least you got to review at all sometimes is screwed up for quite a while that by the time I write the next chapter, nobody was able to review. I might start off with a One-shot Tikku, to see how it turns out. It'll let me see if I can write a Tikku or not. lol. I actually have one in mind right now that I may just end up writing this week since I have the week off from school.

SakuraAngelina- Well, the lime and mildew in the toilet bowl is based off of the toilet in the in my other bathroom, as disgusting and embarrassing it is to admit. It' broken and can't flush all the way so crap literally builds up on the side. You're quite keen on picking up, 'Not going with no money' thing. But I wouldn't get disappointed yet, you can't really be sure what the pairings are when I'm not. lol. I just like making Yuffie have a hard time in getting her plan to work properly. Plus within the next few chapters, they'll be some interesting things happening, heh heh heh.

digital-tiffany- Hello new reader! Welcome to the story! Yes! I'm on another's favorites! Teehee! Glad you love this story so much. Yeah, I actually like the Cloud/Yuffie pairing a lot, but I also like the Leon/Yuffie one as well, which is why I have trouble deciding which I will make the final pairing... Hmm... Maybe she can have two men... lol, nah. Well actually... Hmm...(Thinking) Heh heh... Not exactly but I could make something work. Not sure yet.

Phew! That's over with. Thanks again everyone for all the reviews. They're fun to read hee hee.

Disclaimer- Oi, I dun own Kingdom Hearts.

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Blinded By Anger

Yuffie couldn't do more than stand there and 'awe' at the place they are going to be eating at. She knew Traverse Town was getting bigger, but she had no idea they would build something so flashy. She remembered just a few minutes ago that she thought this place would end up being some cheesy diner or something.

__

"So where are we going Squall?"

"It's Leon, and we're going to Diable Ombre"

"Dibull Umbre?"

"Oh, Yuffie it'll be so much fun! Diable Ombre is Traverse's hottest place to go now."

"Dibull Umbre? I never even heard of it."

"It's French Yuffie. It mean Devil's Shadow."

"Oh, geez, thanks Aerith. This place is sounding so cozy."

Yuffie has to admit though, whoever owns the place, knew exactly how to draw in a crowd. With green neon lights flashing everywhere, and the loud rock music, everyone would be tempted to check the place out. Yuffie can't help but wonder how she missed this place before. 'Must only be open during the night, since I didn't hear any music playing before.'

"You coming or not Yuffie?"

Yuffie snaps out of her daze and looks over at Leon and the other two as they stand in front of the entrance, waiting for her to come. "Oh, um... Right.. Yeah!" Yuffie quickly caught up to them and they entered the restaurant. Although Yuffie would call it more of a club than a restaurant by just what she's seen so far.

Inside proved to be less 'flashy' than before, and the music isn't as loud. The lighting is normal, and there's tables shattered about. It looks like a plain restaurant inside. A man standing behind the desk looked up from the books, "Are you here to party or for dinner?"

The question confused Yuffie quite a bit. Until she realized that she could hear that same music from outside coming from, what sounds like, downstairs. Apparently, Yuffie was correct in assuming the place is a club, but also wrong because it's a restaurant too. 'Heh, who would of guessed.' Leon answered the man behind the desk and he grabbed four menus before bringing them over to a round table.

Yuffie followed everyone, bringing up the rear. Her gaze went to Cloud's crimson cloak, 'Ugh, did he have to wear that thing here?' She thinks to herself. Cloud isn't the type who wants to draw attention to himself, Yuffie knows that much, but by wearing his cloak/cape thing, everyone seems to take a moment to stare at the group. 'Boy is this place packed.' Yuffie thinks to herself, noticing that almost all of the tables were already taken.

The deskman brought the group to a round table near the middle of the room, much to Yuffie's dismay since they'll be the center of attention now. Yuffie quickly snagged a seat, and grabbed a menu. Her attention from the choice of meals she can be eating tonight is distracted momentarily as she watches Cloud pull out a seat for Aerith. 'Hey! How come he didn't do that for me?' Yuffie shakes her thoughts away, it's not like she really cared, she did just jump into some seat.

Now that everyone was seated, Yuffie took a moment to see how they were sit up. Aerith is sitting across from Leon at her left, which left Cloud to sit across from Yuffie. 'I hate these round tables.' Yuffie thinks to herself before looking back into the menu. 'No...no...hmm... maybe... no. Oh! I know!'

"Hey little waitress, why not come back? Bwahahahaha!"

"Yeah, we need to be waited. Hahahahaha!"

Yuffie shut her eyes tight and grinded her teeth as the obnoxious laughter rang into her head. 'Ugh... So annoying.' Yuffie thinks. She soon figured out that the two voices were coming from two older men sitting at the table behind her. 'Great... I hope they don't talk much.' She thinks, although she could already tell that it was wishful thinking.

Yuffie glances over to Aerith, "So Aerith, what're you get-"

"Look it this place! Filled with all these losers!"

"Hey Wedge! We should make our own place and omit losers from coming in!" Yuffie's eye twitches in annoyance as she tries to block out their voices..

"Biggs, That's probably the only smart thing you've ever said! Bwahahahahaha!"

'Ugh... These two must have an IQ of two. Do they honestly believe they're funny or are they just talking as their way of breathing?' Yuffie lets out a breath "So, Aerith, what are you getting?" Yuffie asks having been interrupted last time.

"Hmm... I think. I'll have... the Caesar Salad" Aerith replies before putting her menu down.

Yuffie rolls her eyes, 'I guess I should've seen that coming.' "What about you Squall?"

Leon glanced up from the menu to glare at Yuffie, "It's Leon. And I don't know yet."

"Oh.." Yuffie directs her gaze to Cloud who's sitting in front of her. Seeing how he's still starring at the menu, Yuffie decides that he probably hasn't decided either. Yuffie lets out a tired breath before leaning her head on her left hand while drumming on the table with her right. 'Wow... Service stinks in here.'

As if it were the waitresses cue, Yuffie hears a girl saying, "I'm so sorry for the wait. I got held up. May I get you some drinks?"

Yuffie blinks a bit, recognizing the voice from somewhere. Snapping her head back up she turns to the waitress, "Kairi?" Yuffie says surprised.

The little redhead seems equally surprised to see her, looking around the table she soon finds herself face to face with the same three who she stayed with awhile back, "Oh, hey guys! Wow.. I didn't expect to see you here."

"You didn't expect to see us? What are you doing here? And how did you get here?" Yuffie asks, her voice high and filled with excitement to see her friend again.

Kairi shrugs her shoulders, "Destiny Island was... a lonely place. So I came here."

"So where's the little keyblade master." Yuffie teases with a grin, her grin only widens when she sees that familiar faint blush appear on Kairi's face.

"Sora and I were split up after Ansem's fall. He went to search for Riku."

"Oh..."

"Aren't you a little young to be working." Aerith asks suddenly, deciding to change the subject.

Kairi holds a finger to her lips, "Shh... They don't know how young I am." She answers with a smile, "It took a lot of convincing to make them believe I was old enough to work here. Hee hee!"

Aerith gives the girl a smile, "Well, it's great to see you're doing good."

"Look Yuffie, she's younger than you and already has a job." Leon commented.

Yuffie sends Leon a quick glare, "And what exactly are you trying to imply? If I recall correctly, you don't have a job either!" Yuffie sticks her tongue out at Leon.

Kairi gives a short giggle before her gaze settles on Cloud, who's still looking through the menu, "I see you have a new one in the group." She commented, referring to Cloud

Aerith nods her head and opens her mouth to introduce but Yuffie jumps in, "Yeah, this is Cloud. He's a bit quiet and boring so don't mind him if he doesn't say anything." Yuffie said shooting Cloud an amused grin afterwards. Cloud just shuck his head, not commenting.

"Well anyways. What can I get you all to drink?" Kairi asks, deciding it's best to get back to work. She can always catch up with them later since they're back in Traverse Town.

"I'll have an ice tea please." Aerith answers.

"Same." Leon says, looking back through the menu.

"Um... I want..." Yuffie eyes frantically scan the menu, searching for the beverages, "Um..." Kairi laughs quickly before grabbing Yuffie's menu and flipping it to the back where the beverages are. "Oh... Thanks." Yuffie gave a short laugh of embarrassment, "Um.. I'll take... an orange soda!"

Kairi shakes her head, an amused smile spread across her lips. She jots down the orders and looks to Cloud for his order. "Water." Cloud says quietly.

"Water?" Yuffie repeats in disgust.

"Yes, water. Is there a problem?" Cloud asks, growing annoyed.

"You're not suppose to get water!" Yuffie says, "That's like an unwritten rule when you go out to eat. You're suppose to get something you don't normally have." Yuffie explains.

"...The way I see it. I'm suppose to order what I want. And I want water." Cloud replies flatly, not bothering to glance up from his menu.

"Wow... That's got to be the longest sentence I've ever heard you speak. I'm impressed!" Yuffie says, teasing him.

"Yuffie..." Aerith drags out, wanting the younger girl to leave Cloud alone.

Yuffie glances over to Kairi, who's been standing there the whole exchange, a bit confused on why they're arguing. "Get him a coke!" Yuffie says.

"I said water." Cloud deadpans.

"And I'm telling you, you can't have it." Yuffie snaps back before turning back to Kairi, "So get him a coke."

"But..." Kairi trails off uncertainly.

"Don't worry, if he's thirsty, he'll drink it." Yuffie reassures.

Kairi gives a, more or less, understanding shrug before walking away. "Hey... Mind giving us some service hear?" Wedge calls out to Kairi as she passes by.

"One moment sir."

"... One moment has now passed, so come serve us already."

"Please be patient sir." Kairi replies while passing the table, remembering to not snap at costumers.

"Worst service ever." Biggs mutters under his breath to Wedge.

From her spot, Yuffie debates whether or not she should give the two a good 'whack' for being rude to her friend. Already being in trouble at the cafe, and not wanting to be kicked out of this place, Yuffie stays where she is, deciding to just try and ignore their comments and obnoxious laughter. After a few moments pass by, Yuffie has to question whether or not the two idiots sitting behind her are the only two speaking in the place. The whole restaurant is filled, but all she can hear is the two men, Biggs and Wedge, cracking stupid jokes and complaining about the service.

"Here are your drinks." Kairi says once she returns, placing their selected drinks in front of them.

Yuffie however, can't help but notice that Kairi placed a coke in front of Cloud, as well as a glass of water. Yuffie heard a faint 'thank you' come from Cloud before he took a sip of his water. Yuffie didn't even bother to conceal the annoyance from her face, 'Traitor.' She thinks to herself.

"Are you all ready to order now?" Kairi asks politely.

"Hey! We were here before them! You should get our orders first!" Biggs calls out to Kairi.

Yuffie spins around in her chair to glare at the two men, "Would you two idiots just shut up! Everyone in this whole place would be so much happier!"

Wedge just laughs at her comment, his large stomach seeming to bounce with each laugh "Acting a little big, aren't ya pipsqueak? Maybe you should just go back home and play with your dollies. Wait... you are a girl right? I'm having trouble deciding. Bwahahahaha!"

Yuffie makes a move to get up from her seat so she could sock him one, but Kairi places a hand on her shoulder to push her back down, "Please don't start anything Yuffie. Just ignore them. If I've been able to do it for a week then you can do it for a night."

Yuffie tries to calm herself down, trying to will her beat red face to settle back to it's normal color. "You mean they've come here every night for the past week?"

Kairi nods her head, "I've been unlucky enough to have to waiter them several times already."

Yuffie shakes her head, "GAWD Kairi! How do you do it." Kairi just shrugs her shoulders.

"You should just ask your manager to ban them from coming if they cause so much trouble." Aerith suggests, also having enough of the two.

Kairi frowns a bit, "I talked to the manager. But he told me to 'suck it up or leave.' They're costumers, they have money. And the manager is just out to get money, no matter who it's coming from."

"Hurry up and order so we can!" Lenny yells at the table.

"I'll have a Caesar Salad." Aerith says quickly, not wanting the two men to get any more aggravated then they already are.

"...I'll have the meatloaf."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Leon, at the mention of meatloaf. She HATES meatloaf. "I'll take a bacon cheese burger! Oh! And I want onion rings too!" Yuffie adds quickly before handing her menu to Kairi.

"Ok..." Kairi says while jotting the orders down and taking the menus from the three. She turns to Cloud, "And what will you be having?"

"..." Cloud glances up briefly from the menu before his gaze settles back on the menu.

"Do you need more time?" Kairi asks.

"..."

"..."

"...no." Cloud replies before closing the menu, "Steak and friend onions."

'Mmm... fried onions.' Is Yuffie's immediate thought. 'Wonder if she'd mind if I changed my order... Nah.. better not.'

"Alright thank you. Your orders should be out shortly." Kairi says before heading to the two men waiting to get their orders.

"Well..." Aerith starts off, "This is nice." She comments, looking around the new restaurant.

Yuffie just gives a lazy 'Mmhmm.' her attention going to the music she can partially hear from the club downstairs. It's a weird sensation to have the floor constantly vibrate under her feet. It was a bit annoying when she first walked in, but she doesn't really notice it anymore.

Yuffie snaps from her daze by the sound of Cloud's chair scrapping against the floor before he stands up. 'Where's he going?... wait stupid question, the bathroom of course.' Yuffie thinks to herself.

Cloud walks away from the table, his battered crimson cloak nearly being dragged on the floor. Wedge nudges his buddy in the side and points at Cloud as he passes their table, "Look at this weirdo, all he needs is some fangs and he'd be set as a vampire." He comments lowly, though everyone could hear him anyway.

Biggs nods his head in agreement before laughing, "Vamp-boy. Heh heh." Cloud doesn't give any sort of acknowledgement that he heard them as he headed toward the nearest waiter to get the directions to the bathroom.

Yuffie's eye twitched as she listened to them. Looking over to Leon, she could tell that he wasn't too fond of their comments either, though he was able to hide his annoyance more. Just the slight drawing of the eyebrows was enough indication for Yuffie to tell that he was getting angry. Looking to Aerith, she could tell the older woman was upset. "Assholes..." Yuffie muttered under her breath.

Cloud watched as the hot water ran from the faucet and go down the drain. The steam clouded up the mirror in front of him, making it impossible to see his own reflection. After washing his hands, he turned the faucet off and walked over to built-in blow dryer to dry his hands. Once finished he walked back to the faucet and stared at the clouded mirror. Cloud lifted his hand up to the mirror, with one finger, he slowly wrote one name on it. WEDGE. Just as slowly, Cloud slashed his finger through the name, crossing the name out.

Cloud wiped everything off the mirror with his hand before turning away and heading out of the bathroom. He notices that Kairi had brought their food while he was in the bathroom, seeing their dinner placed out in the right spots. He silently passes all the tables before he settles back into his seat and begins eating his meal.

Yuffie had practically finished eating before Cloud returned, being one to inhale her food. One could lose a hand that was close to her plate if they aren't careful. If she even tastes what she's eating will always be a mystery forever unsolved. It didn't take Yuffie much longer to finish her meal, by the time she was done, everyone else was only halfway finished.

"Aah... That was good." Yuffie comments to herself before taking a few gulps of her orange soda. Yuffie let out a breath before she began drumming her fingers on the table, trying to pass the time quicker. 'Bored, bored, bored.'

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID, YOU IDIOT!" The restaurant seems to go deathly silent as everyone turns to look over at Biggs and Wedge's table. What you get is Kairi standing at their table muttering apologies while the tall lean man, Biggs stands there with a mixture spaghetti, sausage, and tomato sauce splattered on his black pants.

"I'm terribly sorry." Kairi says quickly, "I don't know what happened, it slipped and-"

Wedge just laughed at his friend, only feeding Biggs's anger even more. Biggs grabbed hold of Kairi's arm tightly, his brows furrowed in anger and his brown eyes seeming to be on fire with anger, "I just bought these! Now they're ruined because you're a klutz!"

"Sir, you're hurting me." Kairi says in pain, as his grip tightens even more, "I can pay for a new pair." She adds quickly.

"Damn straight you'll pay!" Biggs shouts, he begins dragging her away, "Let's see what your manager has to say about this."

"Hey!" Biggs stops and turns around just in time to be kicked in the shin by Yuffie. He gives a short cry of pain, before letting go of the girl in his grasp to rub his shin. Kairi hurries behind Yuffie, where she assumes is the safest place at the moment.

"Why you little brat!" Biggs says between clenched teeth. His hand goes into a fist, and before Yuffie knows what's happening, he grabs her by one arm before swinging his fist. Yuffie gives a surprised cry, shutting her eyes tight, waiting for the fist to hit her in the face. However, luckily for her, Biggs is throw away from her.

Opening up her eyes, Yuffie sees Leon standing in front of her, rubbing his knuckles. Biggs rubs his the side of his face from his spot on the floor, "Why you." Jumping to his feet, he charges Leon, tackling him into a table.

Wedge jumps from his seat, to help Biggs in the fight. Before he reaches them, he feels himself grabbed from behind before being spun around. Cloud stood in front of him, his eyes on seemingly on fire, before Wedge is able to comprehend how Cloud had managed to jump from his seat to grab him so quickly, the blond crashes his fist into his face.

Yuffie watches as Leon and Biggs tumble around the floor, throwing punches at each other while costumers took it upon themselves to scatter away from the pair. Leon managed to kick the other man off of him and get back on his feet. Biggs however, proved that he wouldn't give up so easily. He charged at Leon again, much like the first time. Leon is ready this time. Before Biggs is able to tackle him again, Leon steps to the side, his hand reaching behind other man to give him a extra push while he raised his knee up to crash it into Biggs's stomach.

Yuffie just winces at the scene, 'Bet you that hurt.' She watched amusedly as Biggs dropped to the ground, clutching his stomach.

Leon glared at him before forcing him to get back on his feet, he literally threw the man out of the restaurant and out on the street, "Stay out." Leon warned before going back inside.

Yuffie was in a fit of laughter, "Ha ha ha! That was great! But you know, I didn't need your help. I could of taken him myself."

Leon shot her a glare, "Can't you ever stay out of trouble?"

"Well excuse me if I was helping Kairi! It's not like you were doing anything." Yuffie snaps back, her tone an annoyed one. Her attention is caught by more commotion at the other end of the restaurant. Both Leon and her turn to see what's going on.

Upon seeing Aerith as well as a large crowd of people surrounding someone, the two quickly take off to see what else is going on. "Cloud stop! Put him down!" They hear Aerith call out.

Yuffie froze in her tracks when she saw what's happening. Cloud has the larger man, Wedge, up against the wall. Yuffie is frightened by the anger on Cloud's face, it's really the only expression she's seen him have. His eyes are narrowed into thin slits, and his brows are brought tightly together, while his teeth are clamped tightly shut and his lips pressed in a snarl. 'He looks like he wants to kill someone.' Yuffie decides her observation isn't too far off either. Wedge could only gasp short breaths while Cloud chokes him with both his hands, holding the fat man a good foot off the ground in the process. Yuffie could only stare at Wedge's darkening face, and how deep Cloud's fingers are in the fat man's neck.

"Cloud stop it! You're killing him!" Aerith shouts, growing more and more frightened by the moment.

Cloud didn't stop though, as if he didn't hear her. Leon tried pulling Cloud away, but the blond didn't seem to budge, it was as if Cloud was in a trance, hell bent on choking this man to death. "Let him go." Leon said.

'Oh my GAWD! He really is going to kill him if he doesn't let go!' Yuffie realizes. She quickly runs up to him and tries prying one of his hands off the man's throat. "Let go, let go, let go!" Yuffie chanted as she pulled at his iron death grip, "CLOUD!" Yuffie yelled before she sank her teeth into his arm.

Cloud recoiled like lightening, causing Leon and Yuffie to stumble back while Wedge dropped to the ground, hacking for air. Deciding to do the smart thing, he stood up and ran out of the place, coughing for air all the way. Yuffie wiped her brow giving a quick, 'Phew.'

Cloud blinked in confusion as he stared at all the people around him. Silently, he looked down at his hands that were just moments ago, around a man's neck. Yuffie watched quietly as Cloud seemed to collect himself, the expressionless mask slipping back on his face. "Sorry..." Cloud says quietly.

"I think it would be best if we just left." Aerith suggests, "You guys go on ahead and I'll go pay for the dinner and the damages." She said before heading over to Kairi.

The three stood where they were for a few seconds, as if waiting for someone to move first. The crowd just continued to stare at them, not daring to move. With one more quick look around, Cloud walked forward, causing the crowd to break apart to make a path for him. He makes sure to keep his gaze to the ground, not wanting to look at anyone for the moment.

Leon began walking as well, leaving Yuffie there alone for a few seconds in thought. She's still trying to get her heart to stop beating so quickly. What she saw had given her a real scare. She never saw anyone be as angry as that before. In the back of her mind, she knows if they hadn't stopped Cloud, he may have seriously ended up killing that man. She can't help but wonder if Cloud knew what he was doing, or if he's slightly crazy. 'Great... Something else I'm left out of the loop of.' Yuffie thinks to herself before running off to catch up with Leon and Cloud.

Heh heh heh... That was rather, exciting. Wasn't it? Seems Cloud may be a little psychotic. Finally managed to get in a little action. By the way, if you are a Final Fantasy fan, which I'm sure all of you reading are... Then you know that Biggs and Wedge are from Final Fantasy 7. I actually was using two men named Chuck and Lenny at first, but then I was like... Hmm... Biggs and Wedge, that could be fun. Of course Biggs and Wedge are OOC since they aren't uh... like that lol. But nevertheless, it's them. Just out of curiosity, what does everyone want the pairings to be anyway? I decided, but I'm still not 100 sure, so maybe it'll help if I know. Well, until next chapter! Review!


	9. Weary, Confused, And Brooding

One hundred review special! Is what I'd normally say when I hit the mark. I'd be in such a ducky mood if it wasn't for the fact the my body feels like it's been run over. Why do I feel this way you ask? Probably because some dumbass in a jeep crashed into my mother's truck after blowing passed a stop sign, we swerve and end up running into a house. A house. A god damn house! Not the telephone pole, not that boulder on the side, the house! We squeezed between the telephone pole and a boulder somehow. I don't know how my mother managed that, but we hit the house! Oh man... Luckily everyone is in better shape than the truck, including the other driver (Unfortunately..) Oh but don't get me started on why it's a pain in the ass now that we're down to two vehicles. I have a list of reasons, that I'll keep to myself.

Anyways... I guess I just move on, can't spend all day ranting.

MystiKoorime- Heh thanks... Watch Duty Sucks is on hold until I have another case of writer's block. That's basically what I use when I'm stuck on other fics. Plus, I kind of have to think a bunch for the last chapter. The Grand Finale, ya know?

HyperatedRikku-Nope, you weren't the first to review that One-Shot Tikku I posted. I'm disappointed in you. Tsk Tsk Tsk (Shakes head in disappointment) Heh, that whole Clouffie thing took up a page in a half lol.

digital-tiffany-No one is going to possess Cloud... But something will, but it's no one. You'll understand, can't really explain it lol. Glad you liked the chapter. I had to slip in some action for the fic, ya know?

vampiegurl- You know what? Cloud kind of looks like a psychopath too, ya know? lol. I'll have to go and read your fic when I have the chance.

zeldagirl1335-I'm a going! I'm a going! Here's the update!

Reese-Yeah, that's true, I never thought about it that way. I guess I was worried because I used the ones from FF7, since they're the coolest to me. I couldn't have Wedge being a coward though lol.

Aoi-butterfly-Nah... Leon was just itching for a fight lol.

SakuraAngelina-Um... your not the only one your confusing lol. But I think I get the gist of what you're saying.

ChibiYuffie1-Well, the whole Biggs and Wedge characters kind of hit me after I finished the chapter. I had to go back and rewrite the parts that were originally, 'Chuck and Lenny'. I figured that Biggs and Wedge would be better because most would know about them, and that would make less OCs.

NeonRaine-Yeah... Yeah! You're right! Wow, I never looked at Cloud's psycho-ness like that. That's so much better than what I was going at lol.

Jessiecup- Ah... my dear sister Cup. You are one sick individual, I must say. You don't like Aerith much, do you? Well neither do I, which you already know, but I'm still going to suck it up and deal with her, I'm sure you can do the same. Just close your eyes whenever she's mentioned and it'll all seem like a passing dream.

MarieQ-Wow, there seems to be a lot of Squaffie fans here, wanting to see a Clouffie. I'm surprised.

And I Promise-Um... Define 'rollin' please. You totally lost me in your review with the 'rollin' s and the 'mmkay's, I probably read your review six times and I still couldn't understand anything after the opening comment lol. Oh well, the good news is that you love the story so far.

chillywilly101- Mmm... Cream cheese muffin... Actually, I never decided upon what the pairing would actually be, I just got the idea and started it, since there's so many Squaffie fans out there, and some hidden Clouffie fans, I figured it'd grab both of them into the fic. And well, it worked! Now I just need to decide on the pairing.

Aniis- Another Squaffie fan voting for a Clouffie! The world is ending! Don't worry, you aren't betraying yourself. You just crave for something different. Biggs and Wedge are from Final Fantasy 8, but also other Final Fantasies as well. They're in Final Fantasy 7, and those two are the ones I used, since they came to mind first. Fat Wedge, and bad boy Biggs. Heh heh, how could I resist?

Phew! Finally got that done. Well thanks for the reviews everyone, it's definitely lightened my mood a bit. Now... On with the show!

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts

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Weary, Confused, And Brooding

It took some time for Yuffie to fall asleep after the whole ordeal at the restaurant. In her mind she kept picturing a certain blonde swordsman choking the life out of her, with eyes that held the fury of hell itself. Needless to say, it wasn't fun dreaming that night so it was a welcoming wakeup call for Yuffie when her nose picked up the scent of breakfast.

Of course, waking up is one thing, getting up is another, especially when you only get a few hours of sleep the previous night. The young ninja can only question if the rest had gotten as little sleep as herself. If Yuffie had to choose between getting up to eat, or staying in her warm, cozy sleeping bag, she'd choose to stay in her current bed. Than again, it never is her choice it seems. If she doesn't get up soon, Aerith will eventually walk over to her and continue to wake her up every five minutes and not all the whining and persuasion in the world would change Aerith's beliefs. 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It wakes you up and prepares you for all the work to be done that day.' Yuffie recalls what Aerith once told her.

With much reluctance on Yuffie's part, she unzips her sleeping bag and gets up. She takes a moment to work the kinks out of her neck. Sleeping on the hard floor without a pillow isn't exactly her idea of comfortable. Looking around the living room, she notices that everyone else had already woken up and rolled up their sleeping bags. They had settled for sleeping in the living room last night. No one dared to speak a word about the incident, nor did anyone particularly want to know what had gotten into Cloud. At least that's what Yuffie believes considering no one questioned him.

Yuffie lets out a tired yawn as she yawns a hand through her hair in an attempt to brush out it's puffiness. Yuffie looks over to the kitchen to catch sight of Aerith busing herself on the small kitchen stove and Leon leaning on the counter while reading a newspaper. Seeing how breakfast isn't ready yet, Yuffie heads off in the direction of the bathroom, beginning her morning ritual of waking up. With a few yawns on the way, Yuffie manages to reach the door that she found out was the bathroom yesterday.

Yuffie blames the fact that she had not gotten much sleep last night. Without her sleep, she can never really focus on anything, therefore never really pay attention to the obvious. For instance, if Yuffie had gotten her sleep, she would of realized that the sink in the bathroom is running, meaning someone is in the bathroom already. Yuffie also blames the fact that the door had not been locked. If it was locked, she never would have been able to open it up.

Unfortunately, she had not gotten her proper amount of sleep, so the sound of water running never processed through her thoughts, and the door had not been locked so there was no stopping her from opening up the bathroom door. It only takes Yuffie a mere three seconds to snap out of her sleepy daze and realize that Cloud is in the bathroom already.

Yuffie's eyes went wide as saucers when she saw Cloud standing in front of the sink, with nothing but a towel around his waist. His blonde spikes stuck to his face from the recent shower he had obviously taken. His skin seemed so pale, more than Yuffie would have guessed. She finds it hard to take her eyes off his well sculpted chest.

'He looks so much thinner without his clothes on.' How someone so thin could be so powerful, Yuffie will never know. One thing caught Yuffie's attention the most however. The large black wing sticking out of his back. The black silken feathers shined from the bathroom's light. 'All you need is a bow and arrow than you'd be set cupid.' Yuffie thinks suddenly.

Of course, Cloud wasn't oblivious to the fact someone had walked into the bathroom. As a matter of fact, he had been starring at her for quite some time now, waiting for her to either say something or just get out. All Yuffie did there was stand there in embarrassment, not exactly sure why she was suddenly having trouble urging herself out of the bathroom. She could feel her face heat up when she manage to make eye contact with Cloud, partially relieved that he doesn't seem angry, and partially more embarrassed since he hasn't said anything.

Finally after gaining somewhat control of herself, and remembering how to breath once more, Yuffie turns on the balls of her feet and walks out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Keeping her face downcast to hide her deep blush, in case Leon or Aerith decide to come out of the kitchen, Yuffie heads back down the hall, 'GAWD! How embarrassing!' She thinks to herself. A small grin plays across her lips as a stray thought crosses her mind, "That's one way to wake up in the morning." Yuffie say aloud to herself, not having noticed that she had already walked into the kitchen.

Leon glanced up from his newspaper to give Yuffie a strange look. He decides that he doesn't even want to ask what the ninja is talking about, instead he goes back to his newspaper. "What did the owner say last night?" Leon suddenly asks.

Aerith shakes her head from her spot over the stove, "I didn't to speak to him. They said he was too busy. So I just paid for the dinner, they said that they'll charge the two men for the costs of the damage since they didn't pay for their meals." She explains as she flips a pancake over. Leon nods his head, not taking his eyes off an article he's reading. "We'll need to go out and buy some furniture today." Aerith reminds him. He just nods his head again.

Yuffie holds a hand in front of her mouth as she yawns once more, "Is breakfast almost ready? I'm hungry." She whined, as if to prove her point, her stomach gave a sudden rumble.

"Is your brain in your stomach?" Leon mumbles to himself, "You're always hungry."

Yuffie sticks her tongue at him, "Goes to show you! I'm not hungry once I eat so there!"

"Act you age Yuffie."

Yuffie grins, "I am. People act the way they want, not by their age." Seeing that he appears to be paying more attention to the newspaper than their little argument, Yuffie walks up to him and pulls down the top of the newspaper while standing on her toes to see what he's so interested in, "What you looking at anyway? The classifieds?"

Leon tugged the newspaper out of her hands, "Someone is going to need to get a job around here." Leon gave her a pointed look.

"What? I'm too young to actually go out and get a job." Yuffie claims.

"You know what?" Aerith suddenly says, having been listening to the conversation somewhat, "Yuffie's right." Yuffie grins and sticks her tongue at Leon, earning a glare from him, "In normal circumstances, Yuffie would still be in school."

"Wh-what?" Yuffie says, her voice catching in her throat. 'She's not thinking what I think she's thinking, is she?'

A smirk slowly forms on Leon's lips when he notices Yuffie's nervous glances, "You're right. She never did get to go to school. Maybe she should start."

Yuffie can just imagine him laughing at her in his mind. "Nuh-uh. Not for me. I never went to no school, and I don't plan on to."

"Than you can get a job." Leon says.

"I'm not going to work! I'm a teenager, I'm suppose to spend my days being lazy and hanging out with my friends."

"You don't have any friends." Leon points out.

Yuffie's face heats up in embarrassment, "You..." She seethes, pointing an accusing finger at Leon. "Oh wait! Ha! I do! Kairi is my friend!"

"I don't think Traverse Town has a school, now that I think about it." Aerith says as an after though before turning the stove off.

'Yes!' Yuffie thinks to herself, smirking.

"But that's alright. I can home school her." Aerith smiles at her own idea.

Yuffie's smile drops, "Oh would you look at the time. I got a lot of dishes to get cleaning, so I'll catch up with you guys later, bye-bye now." Yuffie says frantically before dashing out of the place, heading for the cafe to begin her day of dish washing.

Yuffie sighed for seemed like the hundredth time since she arrived at the cafe as more dirty dishes were placed on her steadily increasing pile. It seems like she'd wash one dish and it's replaced by two or more. Yuffie can't help but wonder where all the dirty dishes are coming from. The cafe isn't that busy, there isn't that many people at the cafe, the last she saw. That would only leave one explanation, the manager didn't have the dirty dishes cleaned the night before after she left, so she'd have more dishes to scrub.

It's not the fact that she's being forced to work that bothers her, it's that it's so boring. 'And Squall wants me to get a job. Ha! If this is what it would be like working than you can forget pal!' She felt giving Leon a good smack for even consider her getting a job. What does she need a job for anyway? She doesn't need any money. There's nothing out there she wants. And there's nothing that she needs either. Therefore she doesn't need money, so she definitely doesn't need a job.

One good thing about being stuck washing dishes, Yuffie found out that it's a rather good place to think. It's not that loud, and people don't speak to you except for the occasional, 'Here's some more.' Which leaves her plenty of time to think of many things. Yesterday her thoughts were mainly on trying to figure out what to do to make Leon more jealous. Today, Yuffie found it hard to come up with a plan with the image of a certain someone wearing a towel etched into her head.

It didn't help matters when that same person happened to be mopping the floor, not too far away from her. She somehow managed to keep her eyes on the dishes in the sink, and not have them wander over to her left. Even after the whole 'bathroom' incident, Yuffie still feels a bit nervous around him, not forgetting how crazed he seemed last night. She made a mental note to be careful not to anger him.

Looking back to last night still makes a familiar chill creep down her spine. 'And this is who I'm trying to use to make Squall jealous?' She thinks to herself, 'I'm either desperate, or I'm just as crazy as he is. GAWD! He looked possessed!' Now that Yuffie thought about, the more she began to realize that Cloud probably really was possessed. Not the traditional, possessed by some devil or madman type deal. But possessed by something more, something inside him. His anger seemed to have possessed him. 'Possessed by anger. There's a new one.' Yuffie thought dryly.

Cloud mopped silently, waiting for the time to pass by quicker. For some reason, he doesn't feel like doing this today. He had no problem with it yesterday, but today he just seemed aggravated. It's not the work that's aggravating him, it's the people he's come to live with. He can tell that they're afraid of him. They don't trust him after last night. All because he let his anger get the best of himself. He noticed the way Leon kept a weary eye on him this morning when he finally came to eat breakfast, and how Aerith's eyes were dull with worry.

Of course he just acted oblivious of their glances. 'Seems like each of them feel differently of me now. Leon doesn't think I'm trustworthy, Aerith is worried about me, and Yuffie is just flat out scared of me.' Usually he doesn't care what others think of him. He usually just brushes it off and isn't affected by it. But these people are suppose to be his friends, the only ones he has, and now he may be asked to leave.

Cloud wouldn't blame them if they did ask him to leave. He did get a little out of hand. If they do ask him to leave, he won't hold it against them, he'll leave if they ask. He'll just have Cid bring him back to the Coliseum where he'd have nothing to do but wait once more. He often wondered since the fateful day if all his waiting would be all for nothing. He never considered the possibility that 'he' may actually be dead. In Cloud's mind, 'he' had to be alive considering he himself is.

Cloud had only decided to leave the Coliseum because he doubted waiting there would come up with much results. If Cloud had stayed at the Coliseum, he knew it'd be a long time before 'his' return. So it was pointless for him to stay. Looking back on the memory of that certain day, he could only wonder if he actually stood a chance. He searched for many years since the first day the Heartless took over Hollow Bastion. Only having rumors to follow, and even those were hard to come by. His search was mostly, pick a world and search it thoroughly before moving onto the next.

It took years of training for Cloud to become the way he is. Most of his training was in order to learn to control hide his emotions. Having emotions in battle is a weakness, it shows one's fear and hesitation. To be able to fight without your emotions controlling you, that is a true warrior. Something Cloud has strived to become. Last night was a clear sign to him that he had not become what he wanted. Sometimes he can't help himself from letting his anger control his actions. Every time he fights he envisions someone else as his opponent.

The path to his light was long and at one point, within his reach. He could almost see the light. But it was snatched away from him as quickly as he saw it. His quest had brought him many places, and it also was one to test his skills. He had become a mercenary in order to pay for a transport across worlds, and to survive. Sometimes his skills were used to benefit a town, while other times, it was used by the darkness.

Hades is the best example. Cloud knew trusting the god of the under realm was risky. But his offer was too good to pass up. If he really knew where he could find the person he was seeking, he'd do anything. Of course Cloud knew that Hades is also a backstabber and a liar. Cloud had humored the hotheaded god, doing as he wished, believing he could manipulate the darkness. He never realized how in over his head he was until he had gotten in too deep. In the end, it was another dead end in his search. Hades betrayed him, as he thought he would, and sent Cerberus to kill him. Then his 'target' ended up saving his life along with some kid who he was about to finish off before Cerberus attacked him.

That was the last time he allowed himself to be hired by the forces of darkness. He should have learned the time before that, when it cost him the only person stubborn enough to follow him and try to help him in his search. The man had proven to be quite a fighter and a sharpshooter. But it didn't help him when they were both surrounded in a world where darkness stood at every angle. Cloud was lucky enough to escape, but his traveling companion lost his heart, and all that was left of him was his torn and tattered cloak.

"Place it over there." Leon ordered the movers carrying a couch. Aerith and Leon had gone out and bought some furniture for their place. They asked to have everything delivered as soon as possible, which meant the same day in some places. They managed to find beds for everyone, three dressers, a kitchen table complete with chairs, a couch and a coffee table. The price of their furniture scavenging cost them however, a large deal of munny which brought their supply to a dwindling nine hundred.

Leon knew that he, and everyone else for that matter, is going to have to find some way to bring some income into the household. He had searched the classifieds, but none of the jobs appealed to him. At this point however, he's going to have to just pick one and deal with it until he finds one that won't irritate him.

The munny isn't the only thing that's bothering Leon. Now he has Cloud to worry about as well. He didn't think that the blonde swordsman was potentially dangerous at first. He thought of him like he was still the twelve year old who used to spar with him back at Hollow Bastion. Last night was a rude awakening. Cloud is not the same. He went too far last night. He nearly choked a man to death.

What Leon is worried about the most is Yuffie. She had been spending a lot of time with him recently. Now Cloud could be a danger to her. What if he were to lose his temper and take it out on Yuffie? 'What does she find so interesting in him anyway that makes her want to follow him everywhere.' The thought was created from irritation and annoyance. 'She had been following him around since he came here.'

Leon has to admit, it felt a little strange not having Yuffie following him everywhere he went, hell bent on pestering him to the point of insanity. Maybe her presence had grown on him, or maybe he's just worried about her being around Cloud, when he seems to be unstable. One thing is for sure though, he'll have to watch both of them, particularly Cloud for that matter.

"We're all done sir." One of the movers announced, breaking Leon's train of thought.

The gunblade specialist gave them a short nod before they left. The problem with the bedrooms has already been solved. Leon had decided who'd be getting their own room while the movers brought in the beds. Aerith and Yuffie would get their own room, and he'd share the remaining room with Cloud. Leon could have just made the spare room into another bedroom, which would allow everyone to have their own bedroom, but with this arrangement, he can keep a closer eye on Cloud, and try to figure out what exactly is going on with him.

'One thing is for sure, things can't get any more strange than they are now.' If Leon only knew how wrong he was in thinking that.

Sorry everyone! That's it for now. I know, I know. BOO! But I jus gotta end it here. But looky! I'm getting somewhere in the whole Leon/Yuffie/Cloud triangle thing. You got Yuffie walking in on Cloud, and Leon feeling a bit 'strange'. Oh but he isn't jealous (COUGHBSCOUGH) Anyways! Hope ya liked this chapter anyway. Any guesses on who the two people are that Cloud is thinking about? lol, Review! TTNC!

P.S. It may be up to two weeks before I update once more because I have baseball game after baseball game for eleven days starting Monday.


	10. Suspicions

So many reviews o.O I love it! Ha ha! Thanks a bundle y'all!

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Chillywill101- lol Got you into indecisiveness eh? That's the whole idea of this fic I guess, to make people think as both sides as good possibilities.

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Aoi-butterfly- Heh heh, yeah, that's a bit of a giveaway. Before anyone asks, Vincent doesn't really play a significant role in this fic. It was just that one part really.

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Annjirika- Bet you wish it were Riku, eh?

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HyperatedRikku- So what's my special present? Did I update quick enough to actually get one in the first place?

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ChibiYuffie1- Heh heh, yeah... It was just the character thoughts. I felt that everyone should know what everyone is thinking. I just didn't do Aerith because... well... um... She's not very important at the moment I guess lol.

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MariQ- Heh heh, Cid and Yuffie... That just seems wrong to say in itself. But Cid is still cool. I've actually seen maybe two Yuffie/Cid fics in the FF7 category. 0P Baaaaaad combination. Just as bad as Yuffie and Red XIII

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LethalFroggie-Uh... it doesn't seem like they do like Aerith too much lol. Um... Well, I don't really want to rush it too much. But I'll see what I can do in this chapter.

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HiEi JaGaNsHis FlAmE- A new reviewer! Howdy person! Hmm... Cloud fan huh? Heh.

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And I Promise- (Laughing) You crack me up, really! Oh man... Well... Glad the 'rollin' is understood now. Well... Maybe I already have made hints that Cloud like her, but you just weren't able to catch them, eh? Eh?. Lol, I'll see if I can get some good ones in this chapter.

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Reese-Thanks!

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MystiKoorime- Heh heh, wish you had Cloud in your bathroom half naked, don't you? Heh heh, yes, and so the jealousy is beginning to manifest. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next, huh? I updated 'Living On' Just for you

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zeldagirl1335- Why yes, it can be a Clouffie! But it can also become a Squaffie, depending on how it works out in the end 0)

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vampiegurl- Awe... There, there (Pat, Pat) Believe me, my first works were worse then your stories. They were so bad that I ended up scrapping them, and put them through the blender. I read two of yours, that one-shot and I read part of your Squall/Yuffie Riku/Yuffie Cloud/Yuffie fic. They ain't crappy. The multi pairing one was a bit sloppy in the very beginning but you can tell your writing improved as you go further into the story. I haven't finished reading it yet though.

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Your Inner Eyeball- Heh, Welcome back! I was wondering where you ran off to. Won't let you log in? That's sucky. So another Squaffie fan that's voting for Clouffie, lol. Wow... So many of those here.

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JessieCup- Ugh... I ain't having nobody rape any... Hmm... (Scratches chin in thought)

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Blood Darkness- Glad you're enjoying the fic!

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Taiyoukai-chan- Awe.. don't cry, it's alright. I have the next chapter here and ready to go!

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Aniis- Oh YEAH! Biggs and Wedge are on one of the Blitz Ball teams! I totally forgot about that! Heh, glad you're liking the whole triangle issue lol.

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DiamondLucy- Hmm... What would a Clouffie and Squaffie fused into one be called? Sqouffie? Cluaffie? Mmm... Sloffie? Heh heh... This is fun! Yualdie!

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JJMP- lol, I wouldn't necessarily say Yuffie is trying to seduce Cloud. But yeah, I know what you're saying. Heh, Yuffie'll just have to suck up some courage if she wants everything to work out, eh?

Phew... I'm getting more and more reviews with each chapter. Heh, I guess everyone is liking this fic. Well, guess I should just get on with this fic.

Disclaimer- I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

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Suspicions

Yuffie isn't sure how she managed up until this point. Everyday she went to the cafe to wash dishes, and everyday she'd walk out with her hands all pruned while smelling faintly of the food she'd wash off the dishes. She reckoned washing dishes isn't all that bad once you get the hang of it. She could of gotten a worse punishment. That doesn't change the fact that her spirits were extra high today for the fact that it's the last day of her punishment. That's right, after today she was free from washing dishes forever. She'll never wash another dish as long as she lives.

Owner, as Yuffie has come to call him since she can't pronounce his real name, had actually asked Yuffie to stay and work at the cafe washing dishes for pay. Yuffie just laughed in his face, not forgetting to tell him to 'Shove it' Her? Yuffie Kisaragi? Work? Not in her lifetime. Yuffie has worked enough in this cafe. She doesn't plan on stepping foot in the place again; not for punishment or anything else.

Usually Yuffie wouldn't be alone in the kitchen washing dishes, not after her first day where she drenched the entire cabinets. Normally Cloud would be wandering around the kitchen, either mopping the floor, polishing cabinets, scrapping grease off the stove, or cleaning the one and only bathroom in the cafe for staff members that sits in the back of the kitchen. Yuffie walked into that bathroom once and it ended in a serious of 'Eww' and 'Grossness!' She never went back in it again.

Yuffie didn't understand why Owner gave Cloud all the grunt work while he had her only washing dishes everyday. She narrowed it down to two possible reasons. One, he knows that she'll complain and groan until he changes her job if he ever sent her to clean the bathroom. Or the second reason, he thinks it was Cloud's idea to run out on the check. She's leaning more towards the later, but she doesn't plan on telling the owner that he's wrong. Especially since there really isn't much reason to now that it's the last day of their punishment.

Getting back onto the subject at hand. Yuffie isn't usually alone in the kitchen, Cloud is usually with her. Not this time however. After he finished mopping the floor he had walked out of the kitchen without mentioning a single word to her, not that she expected him to say anything. It was just him deciding to just leave that bewildered her a bit. If not make her curious, 'Where'd he go? What's he doing? Did he leave the cafe? Is he coming back?' Those were mainly the questions going through her head.

She wasn't going to go chase him down to find out where he is, because quite frankly, she still feels a bit uncomfortable around him. She still hasn't gotten over the whole incident at the restaurant where he nearly strangled a man to death. She would be close to blocking it out of her mind and then the whole scene would flash in her mind unbidden once again. She made it a habit to not talk to him for awhile until she knows he's completely, for lack of better words, sane.

Yuffie almost jumped for joy when she looked at the clock to find out that it's time for her to leave. Without taking a minute to find the owner and saying goodbye, Yuffie hurried out of the cafe, more then happy to finally leave it for good. She'd go look for Cloud and find out where he ran off to, but she doesn't have a clue to where she should start looking. 'Ah... Why would I bother looking for him anyway? Not like he wants anyone's company.'

Cid Highwind is a man who takes pride in his work. At least when it involves constructing Gummi Ships and making vast amounts of munny off of it. However, that business began to hit rock bottom when people didn't see the need to travel to different planets when there's no Heartless around. So he was left with nothing but an item shop. One that's not something the pilot can take pride in. Selling items to potential costumers involves a lot of persuasion, and a friendly smile.

The later not being his strong point considering he's known for his short temper, and a mouth that would make men half his age blush. To add to the short temper, he's head strong, and won't admit when he's wrong. If he could, he'd keep all of his valuables. He was forced to give up the one true love of his life when the Heartless first attacked, the cigarette. Why he felt like he needed to quit is beyond him, and the urge to get some more smokes seems to always linger in his mind.

The cravings led him to his new obsession, which involves chewing on something, anything. Preferably a toothpick, and if those are in short supply, he'd be found with a piece of hay sticking out of his mouth. He surmises that it's best he did quit. Business would be worse if costumers had to walk into a shop where vision was at a minimal from cigarette smoke and the entire shop smelled like cigs.

Although costumers come in short supply these days, Cid isn't afraid of running out of munny. Back in the day of the Heartless, he made quite a bit of munny from all the Gummi Ships he was asked to build for people wanting to leave one world for the next. Not to mention the hefty amount he made off of a certain Keyblade Master. So with all the munny he earned put away into savings, he could live peacefully for a long time. Only problem that he'd have with retiring is that he wouldn't know what to do with himself. Working is his life really, besides flying Gummi Ships. Then again, it's not like he needs to retire right now anyway, he still has a good twenty years before he does any considering.

Cid looked up from polishing the counter upon hearing the bell ring when the door is opened up. The sharp chime caused his eyes to light up with the prospect of a costumer, however, his expression immediately changed when he noticed that it was just a little ninja visiting him, or more likely to annoy him.

"Hey Brat." Cid called out to Yuffie as she walked up to the counter.

"Hey there yourself you old coot." Yuffie grins when she receives Cid's infamous glare. Yuffie just glances around the shop, noticing the lack of costumers, "So how's business old man?"

Cid shook his head before tossing the rag he was using to polish the counter onto his shoulder, "Slow. Not many need medicine when there's no damn Heartless out there injuring people."

"Well you know, all good things come with consequences." Cid gave her a strange look. Tilting her head to the side and raising an eyebrow, Yuffie asks, "What?"

"I don't even want to ask where the hell you managed to come up with that one." Cid replied, a bit impressed.

"Uhnn... I think Aerith said it before." Yuffie commented while in thought.

Cid just rolled his eyes, 'Should've known.' he thought silently. "So how's everyone doing? They haven't stopped by in awhile."

Yuffie put her elbows on the counter and rested on them as she lowered her head to the palm of her hand, "Uh... Squall is still searching for a job." Yuffie answered after a moment of thought.

Cid nods his head, "You jus' tell him that he can work for me."

"Riiight." Yuffie starts once more, "Aerith has been doing most of the unpacking, and cleaning the place up, so she hasn't gotten a chance to search for a job yet. And well, I've just been, you know." Yuffie grinned amusedly.

"You're laying around on your lazy ass, not bothering to help around." Cid said, knowing it was the truth, "What about blondie? How's he doing? I never see him and no one seems to tell me what he's up to."

Yuffie bit her bottom lip in thought, "Um..." They never did tell Cid about the incident in the restaurant, deciding best not to tell him. "Well... There really isn't much to say about him. He's quiet as usual, doesn't leave the house unless he needs to, and just plan broods all day and night."

Cid nodded his head, his eyes seeming to drift off into another world as he stood in his place silently, "Well. I guess that's to be expected after the shit he went through."

"Which was?" Yuffie quickly pressed on, wanting to learn something about the mysterious enigma known as Cloud.

"Huh?" Cid said confused as he snapped back to reality.

"What?" Yuffie replied, equally confused.

"What?"

Yuffie stood in her spot for a moment to try and catch up with the conversation, "What did he go through?" Yuffie asked after figuring out what they were talking about.

"Nothing." Cid replied sharply before grabbing his rag to begin polishing the counter once more. More to pass the time then anything else.

Yuffie let out a breath of annoyance, "Why doesn't anyone answer my damn questions?"

"Just go home brat, before you scare the costumers away."

"You don't have any!" Yuffie exclaimed, nevertheless she walked towards the door to leave, not willing to put up with Cid anymore. Why she even went to the item shop in the first place, she has no idea. When she opened the door to leave, she was halted by Cid's voice.

"It's a question that he should answer."

Yuffie gave him a breath look over her shoulder before leaving the item shop. For a moment, all Yuffie did was stand outside the item shop; wondering what to do or where to go. She doesn't want to head back home yet, there's nothing to do there except stare at the television.

Shouts and whistles suddenly fill the district. Yuffie hurries over to where all the commotion is coming from. She sees a small group of the town's police rush into an alley on the side of a shop, as the owner continues to shout for help, evidently having been robbed by someone. Yuffie smirks to herself, 'Never fear! Yuffie is here! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! I'll catch this baddie!'

Before Yuffie takes a single step into the alley, one of the policemen let out a cry before his body is seen flying out of the alley. The remaining officers began to let out fearful shouts, causing the ninja to become more cautious. 'How is a group of police having trouble with one person?' Yuffie thinks to herself.

"This isn't a man!" Yuffie heard one of the officers shout.

"I-it's a monster!"

"Demon!"

Yuffie decides not to waste anymore time listening to the shouts of the police and runs into the alley. She may not have her shurikens on her, but she should still be able to whoop whatever 'monster' the police are having trouble with. Rounding the corner of the shop quickly, Yuffie stops in her tracks upon seeing the remaining officers spread across the ground unconscious. 'What? But I just heard them shouting.'

Suddenly, she feels a bit stupid for running into a fight that has nothing to do with herself, without weapons no less. She can feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stick up, as if telling her that something isn't right. The lone street light in the back of the shop flickers on and off, leaving Yuffie looking back and forth every time light became darkness, thinking that something may suddenly leap out at her.

'Stupid Traverse Town, not having sunlight even during the day.' Yuffie thought to herself, having trouble finding anything that would be the cause of all this commotion. The darkness all around her made her think twice before moving anywhere, 'Maybe the Heartless are back... or maybe just one.' The thought of even just one Heartless still around is enough to frighten her a little, she's had enough of all the shadows, darkballs, and defenders that crawled around in the town.

Yuffie felt herself suddenly knocked off her feet when something rushed passed her. The air around her blew through her ears, making the object that passed her make a 'Swoosh!' sound. The ninja stood back up soon enough and turned around towards whatever creature or missed Heartless that rushed passed her. All she saw was nothing, and then she looked up towards the top of one of the many buildings where she saw the silhouette of some demon standing on top.

She calls it a demon for the fact of the two wings that she can just barely make out in the darkness. The ninja prepared herself for a fight against the demon, not exactly sure whether she'll be able to take it without her weapons. 'Come on you asshole! Lets see what you got!" She called out to it, making sure to mask the fear in her with confidence.

The demon simply turned around and began walking away. Yuffie's eyes widened as she watched the demon glow in a bright light, the wings suddenly disappeared, and before Yuffie could see what the demon turned into, it's form disappeared over the rooftops.

Leon threw the newspaper in his hands onto the coffee table in aggravation. Again, not one job is open for him. Everyone is looking for someone with experience. With all the new shops being opened up in Traverse Towns, the owners don't want to have to waste time in training people, they want people who know what they're doing so they can make a quick buck. The only jobs listed that Leon could apply for are that of a waiter, cleaner, and a small add put in by Cid. All of which Leon refuses to do.

'I'll have to go out and ask places directly instead of looking through the newspaper.' Leon thought to himself before plopping down onto the couch that's in front of the television. Leaning his head back, he closes his eyes, intent on just sitting there for awhile until he's in a better mood. Leon would like nothing more than to be left alone, however he seems to always get the opposite of what he wants, so it wasn't a surprise when he felt someone settle on the couch next to him. Cracking open an eye, he sees Aerith settled on the couch, her expression a troubled one.

"Where are Cloud and Yuffie?" Aerith asks, not bothering to look over to see if Leon is paying any attention to her. "They're usually back from the cafe by now. Do you think they're out celebrating the fact it's they're last day?"

Leon gave a grunt, "Cloud isn't one who celebrates anything." He said a bit coldly, "And he walked in ten minutes ago before leaving again. Yuffie isn't back yet."

"Oh... What's taking her so long? She's usually back by now." Aerith bit her bottom lip as she thinks of possible reasons as to why Yuffie isn't back yet, "It's getting late."

"She's probably out causing more trouble. I wouldn't concern yourself about it." Leon suggests, but deep down, he was beginning to get worried, especially when Cloud showed up alone, without Yuffie. The usually showed up from the cafe together or soon after the other.

Leon hadn't questioned Cloud as to the whereabouts of Yuffie, but he did have his suspicions, 'Did he do something to her? Maybe he killed her and left again to hide her body and any evidence.' Leon put a hand on his forehead and shook his head, 'I'm thinking like an idiot now.'

He isn't sure when exactly he began to get a little more protective of Yuffie. He can recall when he finally realized it though. It was a few days after Cloud arrived when he felt the need to protect Yuffie, more so from Cloud. Cloud used to be his best friend, but right now, he doesn't know what Cloud is to him. For some reason, every time he sees Cloud he can't help but become angry, which is a lot since they share the same room. Even thinking about the blond swordsman now gets him a little upset. Which is why he probably responded the way he did when Yuffie burst through the front door.

"LEON, AERITH!" Yuffie shouts into the group's home as she ram through the door, "Oh my GAWD! You won't believe what just happened! I saw a demon! No wait! I don't know what it was! But it had wings! But it looked like a person! I think."

Aerith stood up; given the younger girl a bewildered look she asks, "Yuffie, are you sure you just didn't see Cloud?"

Yuffie's mouth snaps shut immediately, the thought never crossing her mind before. "But it couldn't have been Cloud! This person was hurting people. Police officers!"

"Yeah and?" Leon asked getting a little annoyed, "If you forgot already, he almost killed someone in the restaurant."

"That's different!" Yuffie exclaimed, "I mean, the guys in the restaurant were assholes! they deserved it. Plus, this demon person thing robbed a store. I went to see if I could help the police and.."

"With nothing to defend yourself?" Leon's eyes narrow accusingly.

"Well... I can defend myself just fine without my shurikens." Yuffie's shot back, getting a little upset with Leon's attitude. "Besides, I thought it was some little punk because whatever it is, robbed a shop. It happened about eight minutes about."

"Cloud left about fifteen minutes ago." Leon muttered under his breath in thought.

Yuffie glances around the house, "Um... Where's Cloud?"

Aerith frowns a bit, "You don't know?"

Yuffie shakes her head, "No, he left the kitchen at the cafe while I was cleaning dishes and never came back. I didn't know where he went, but he wasn't back by the time I left."

"That's strange." Aerith says to herself.

"Maybe he was doing some shopping." Leon suggests, his tone telling them what he's thinking.

Yuffie threw her arms up in exasperation, "For crying out loud! Cloud wouldn't do something like that!"

"How do you know?" Leon shot back.

"Leon..." Aerith pleaded for him to stop.

Leon didn't listen though he let his thoughts run with his mouth, "For one, he's almost killed a man. He never tells anyone what he's doing or where he goes. He does as he pleases. And quite frankly, we hadn't seen him in nine years. NINE YEARS! Who knows what he's done, or who he's become. He made a contract with Hades himself at one time! Are you blind Yuffie? He may have possibly lost his sanity after all these years. And I don't want to see anyone get hurt by him because they weren't cautious enough!"

"What are you saying?" Yuffie asks quietly, not sure whether she wants to know or not.

Leon's brows furrowed in aggravation, all his pent up anger finally having a time and place to be released, "I mean if he gives me so much as ONE reason to truly suspect him, then I'm going to have to ask him to leave."

"Leon! You can't mean it!" Aerith exclaimed, her eyes beginning to tear up, "We've already lost him for nine years! He's our friend, no our family! We couldn't possibly tell him to leave."

Leon crossed his arms over his chest as he let out a breath, trying to calm himself down, "Maybe I won't have to. Depends on what he does."

Yuffie's fists ball at her sides, "You can be such a jackass sometimes Leon!" Yuffie shouted before turning on her heels and walking out the door. Leon watched her go, running a hand through his hair, feeling more or less, just as she described him. A jackass.

Yuffie grumbled profanities under her breath as she made her way towards the only place she could find any sort of peace. The roof. No one would think of searching for her there. Luckily for her, the tree growing next to their place has a branch overhanging the house, so she could easily get to it.

She quickly found herself a seat on the roofs edge and began letting out her frustration, "Stupid Squall. He's so suspicious of everyone. Never learns to trust people. Totally oblivious to everything. Always having to be a cold hearted bastard. Why can't he just lighten up a little, or something."

Letting out a breath, Yuffie let her shoulder sag as she hung her head, starring down at the ground, "Maybe I should just forget about the plan, it's obviously not going to work. I've already tried everything else." The little ninja rolled her eyes as a sudden thought struck her, "It's not like I can actually do anything when Cloud doesn't want to be around anyone. He's as bad a Leon."

"You shouldn't talk to yourself."

Yuffie nearly fell off the roof from the shock of hearing someone else's voice. Turning around to see who is up there with her, she pales when she notices Cloud standing on the other end of the roof, his back turned to her, 'How long has he been up here? Did he just hear me? Note to self: Check to make sure someone isn't on the same roof as you before you start speaking out loud. Okay check. Now...' "What are you doing here?" Yuffie nearly squeaked.

"...Thinking."

"Ooooh." Yuffie began tapping her fingers on the roof, not sure what to do or say. Should she go back down? Or should she just stay? Either way, she'll be facing someone she doesn't want to at the moment.

"I heard." Cloud said quietly. Yuffie's heart beat quickened when she thought he meant about what she said about her 'plan' "What Leon said down there... I could hear him from up here."

Whether Cloud was affected by what Leon said, Yuffie couldn't tell. His back is turned to her and his voice was just as neutral as ever, not allowing any trace or hint of emotion to slip into his voice. Yuffie began to wish she could be as controlled over her own emotions like he is, "Squall's just being stupid right now." Yuffie said reassuringly, "He just needs a nap."

"..." Yuffie felt her throat go dry when Cloud turned around and walked towards her. She could only glance up at him nervously as he stopped in front of her, his eyes locking with her own, mesmerizing her. "Do I frighten you?" Cloud asks, his voice slightly softer than usual. Yuffie glanced from side to side, as if thinking of the question for a moment before shaking her head no. The slight rise of his eyebrows gave the hint to Yuffie that he was surprised by her answer, "Why not?"

"Um... What do you mean?" Yuffie asked, not sure why he seems to want her to be afraid of him. She'd stand up to talk to him, rather than sit on the hard cold roof, if her she wasn't so sure her legs would give out on her the moment she tried.

"Leon is right." Cloud said, and for a moment, Yuffie was afraid that he was admitting to being the demon she saw robbing the shop, "I could have very well lost my sanity after all these years. I tried to manipulate the darkness, only to be lost in it. I went so far as to sign a contract with Hades to kill Hercules in the Coliseum along with the small boy with the keyblade. I wouldn't hold it against anyone to be afraid of me for just my looks alone."

"Yeah..." Yuffie began, "That's true... But everyone makes mistakes. You were just being an idiot." Yuffie said, flashing him a grin that told him she meant no harm.

Something happened that Yuffie wasn't expecting to happen, at least not in such a near future. Cloud smiled. Not a big smile that revealed the person's teeth. It was just a slight uplift of the corners of his mouth. But it was small, but a smile no less. And Yuffie got to see it. Which made her realize that somewhere deep inside of that seemingly empty shell of his, Cloud still had a heart, and emotions that were more then just sadness, and anger. He could feel amusement just like she did. Which would mean that he could feel happiness, and all other emotions if he just let himself to. All this came from such a small smile. And Yuffie was proud she was the cause of it.

It was a little to soon for Yuffie that his smile disappeared. But she at least has been shown that he still has the ability to. She was afraid that he'd forgotten how after all this time. She really didn't feel afraid of him anymore either. He may have tried to kill someone, but now that she thought about it, she would've done the same thing to the guy most likely, given the chance.

Cloud lowered his right hand down until it was left hovering in front of Yuffie's face. The young ninja sat there a moment in confusion as she merely blinked at the hand as she wondered what he's doing. Finally catching his drift, Yuffie raised her own hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Which he did with a surprising amount of ease. It was a moment longer before Cloud let go of her hand.

Yuffie felt that it was odd that she felt disappointed that he had released her captive hand. She felt even stranger for wanting that hand back. However, their proximity didn't go unnoticed to her. She realized rather quickly how close they were standing to one another. She could practically feel his breath on her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Yuffie shifted from foot to foot and bowed her head as Cloud continued to stare at her, "Erm... maybe we should... get inside. They're probably wondering where we are." Yuffie suggests.

Cloud nodded his head once before turning away and walking towards the edge of the roof. He left off, catching a branch from the tree before letting himself drop the rest of the way down. Yuffie stood in her spot, flustered. One thought crossing through her mind at the moment...

'What the hell was that?'

Sorry y'all! But that's it for now! I know, I know. Why? Well... this is already nine pages long, and this seems like a good place to stop. Heh heh! Did you like this chapter? Do you think Cloud is guilty? Will I ever shut up? Probably not! So why don't you give me a clue, and drop a review!


	11. Reflection

Anijirika- And I ended it for the soul reason to make you miserable. Yup! Cutting a Clouffie moment short, heeheehee!

MariQ- Well, I like Clouffie, and I like Squffie's too. So I guess, the pairings in this are probably constantly going to be changing, hence the love triangles lol.

Vampiegurl- You cried when I killed Cid off in Cry of Eternity: Cont? What about Barret? You didn't mourn him? lol, I really didn't want to kill Cid off, to be honest. Damn, you don't want me to kill Yuffie or Cloud off? That takes away my final plan... J/K To be honest, there's a sequel in the works for the fic. Not done by me though. Someone else is doing it. But it's suppose to take place a hundred or so years after the events in C.O.E.

Jessiecup-Yeah everyone does need a job. Including YOU! Oh wait. OMG! You finally got a job (Applause)

Blood Darkness- Ah... so someone actually caught that... But I could make Cloud have two wings... The demon is someone who has already been represented in the fic. That's the only clue I'm given out. I doubt no one will be able to guess who it is.

NeonRaine- I guess it COULD be Sephiroth... But if it were him, wouldn't you think he would of gone on a mass killing spree or something? lol, Sephiroth is cool.

Chillywilly101- You still don't know which one to choose? lol, by the time you choose the fic will be over it seems like

ChibiYuffie- lol, you're really hoping for this to be a Clouffie, ain'tcha?

Nicole- Awe.. I love you too. lol. Here's more 0)

MystiKoorime- lol yeah... Yuffie just has that gift at making people smile I guess.

Aoi-butterfly- Awe... does that mean you've converted to Clouffienism, rather than Clerithism?

HyperatedRikku-SPAM! I love SPAM! Have I ever eaten it before? No, I don't think so. But Spam is still cool, lol..

Zeldagirl1335-I should of made the chapter longer? It was my longest one yet.. well actually, I think this one tops the last now lol.

taiyoukai-chan- lol, well... .01 chance he is guilty huh? Heh, guess you'll have to wait to find out whether he's guilty or not heeheehee.

Aniis- Well I'm not exactly sure if it is hay or a toothpick Cid is chewing on in the game. It looks like hay or a toothpick to me. Definitely doesn't look like a cigarette to me lol. Sorry if the last chapter kept you up all night, tossing and turning lol.

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts

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Reflection

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You're a little too late, I've already turned my back

What do you do now? I'm hidden in black

Black drapes conceal me, nothing shines through

Emotion is nonexistent, how about you?

The heavens roared before lightening streaked across the sky, illuminating the night for a few brief seconds as the rain pounded mercilessly down on the surface. It was truly the perfect time for some sparring. Two teenagers stood up near the edges of the waterfall; near the place they call 'home.' One teenager, the older of the two, stands above the other by a good two feet or more. His brown hair cut neatly in a short fashion to prevent any of the brown strands to get into his eyes. His blue gaze glowed with anticipation of the fight as he measured his opponent, keeping his choice of weapon hefted onto his shoulder.

His opponent, the younger of the two, with the disadvantage of seven years weighing on his shoulders, remains confident where he stands. His ridiculous blond hair standing in so many directions that it seems to defy the laws of gravity. The anxious smile across his face is a clear sign that he's more than ready to fight. The weapon he wields is a large sword, one that seems much too big for someone of his size, yet he holds it out with both hands, seeming to not even notice the weight of the blade.

The older of the two rolled his shoulder and held out his own strange gunblade out in front of him, "Why don't you make the first move Cloud?" The older of the two asked.

Cloud saw the smirk across his opponents face, a clear sign that he has something up his sleeve. The boy stepped into a defensive stance, his smile faulting the slightest, "I'm not stupid Squall. I've got more sense than to attack you head on like last time." He said, remembering the painful loss he received the last time he fought his friend.

Squall shook his head while he laughed, "That's your own fault. I figured your teacher taught you better than that. But I guess he isn't as great as you think he is."

That got Cloud's anger up rather quickly, just as Squall had predicted it would, "My sensei is the best swordsmen ever. No one is greater then him. Why do you think Master Ansem would put him second in command?"

The nineteen-year-old rolled his eyes at the blond boy, having already heard this before, "Enough of this. We're here to fight." With that said, Squall launched himself forward, slashing down towards his opponent with his gunblade. Cloud managed to block the blow before attempting to counter it. The fight progressed like so, for awhile. They struck at each other, exchanging blows in the rain. With their clothes drenched and weighing them down, and their swords slicing through the raindrops. They continued to fight one another to test each of their skills, and perfect their technique.

Squall came out as the victor, like he always does. Being older and more experienced is a bit of an advantage over a boy. Though the brunette admits that the twelve-year-old does put up a good fight for him, if only to keep him on his toes occasionally. "I guess we should be heading back." Squall suggested as he stared down at Cloud, who's on the ground trying to catch his breath.

The twelve-year-old pushed himself to his feet, after rubbing a few sore spots on his body. Cloud nodded his head before the two turned around to head back towards the enormous castle. "Ansem has been gone a long time." The blond commented suddenly as he thought about their ruler.

"Mmm..." Was Squalls only reply, not having much to put in about the subject.

"Sensei has been acting strangely lately too. I think he's beginning to worry." Cloud scratched the back of his spiky blond head, "Even sensei doesn't know where Master Ansem ran off to. Can you believe he just got up and left?"

"He didn't just get up and leave." Squall finally spoke for the first time on the subject, "He disappeared. No one knows where he went. But he'll be back, don't worry." Squall nodded when he finished, if not to reassure his young friend, than to reassure himself. He has faith in their ruler, they could always depend on him.

Cloud stopped suddenly, causing his friend to do the same. Squall didn't say anything, just questioned him with his eyes. Holding a finger to his lips, Cloud signaled for Squall to be silent. "We have a visitor." Cloud whispered quietly with a smile. Squall caught on quickly and the two walked quickly, making sure to get a good distance between them and their 'stalker'. The two managed to find a hiding spot behind the gates, at the entrance of the castle. Crouching low to the ground, the two wait for someone walk through, knowing it would be hard to listen to their footsteps from all the heavy rain, not to mention the thunder.

It was only a moment before they saw another figure walk through the gates, and pass them. The person evidently seemed bewildered, having lost sight of them. Cloud sprung out like a bullet, not waiting another moment to pass. His arms quickly wrapped around the person's slim waist and effortlessly lifted them up into the air. The girl's surprised cry only caused Cloud to laugh as he spun in a circle with the girl in his arms.

Squall shook his head as he walked out of his hiding place, chuckling lightly at the two, "What are you doing out here Aerith?" He questioned.

Cloud placed her down, the goofy grin on his face remaining pasted to his face a few moments before it disappeared as he waited for the older girl's response. Aerith fiddled around with her pink dress as if ashamed for being caught following them, "I was worried. There's a storm out here, and you two just ran off."

Squall would have rolled his eyes if it had been anyone else, but knowing Aerith and her habit of being overly worried about everything, he decided against it. "We're fine. We were just training." He reassured.

Cloud nodded in agreement before saying, "Yeah. I was giving him a good beating." Squall glared at his young friend before poking a certain bruised part on Cloud's side, earning a rather pitiful cry from the blond, "Geez Squall. I was just joking." Cloud said as he rubbed his offended flesh sorely.

"All the lights went out in the castle." Aerith said, evidently ignoring the moment for now. "Yuffie was already sent to bed, I think we should head off now too."

"Yeah... I guess you're right. I wouldn't want my sensei to catch me out this late. I'd hate to find out what the punishment would be." Cloud gave a very noticeable shudder, whether it was the cold rain or the thought of his sensei, remained unclear. "Plus I doubt my parents would be thrilled if they found out."

"Hmm, that's something I like about being independent." Squall smirked, always finding it amusing to rub the fact in his friend's face that he can do what he wants, while Cloud still has to do as his parents and his sensei says.

Cloud growled a bit in annoyance before he headed off towards the entrance of main hall to head off to his own room. One thing he's thankful for is the fact that most everyone is asleep when him and Squall have their late night 'sessions.' Before Cloud went into his bed, he made sure to get fresh clothes and dry himself off. He'd rather not get a cold for staying in wet clothes. It's happened to him more times then he wishes to count in his twelve-year-old life.

Of course, maneuvering around in the darkness wasn't an easy feat. He must have bumped into five different things by the time he settled into his bed. All around him, darkness surrounded him leaving him blind to everything in the room except for when the lightening flashed, brightening his room occasionally. Cloud isn't around though. He isn't afraid of the dark. It's weird to be afraid of something as harmless as the lack of light. In Cloud's mind anyway.

However, in the back of his mind, something told the young blond to be on guard, to be ready, to be cautious. As if something were trying to tell him that he isn't alone in his room, that something is somewhere in his room with him, watching him. Cloud just thought it was his imagination running away with him. Which is the same excuse he used when he heard the sound of faint steps within his room, as something circled his bed.

He's too tired to really pay attention, it's just a mouse for all he cares. Or it's just his imagination again. He's often thought he heard noises while going to sleep and it turns out to be nothing. Sometimes he thought he heard noises coming from somewhere outside his room, and it'd turn out to be nothing. Nevertheless, when he continued to hear the faintest of steps, almost too faint for him to hear, Cloud drew his covers up to his chin as his heartbeat began to rise.

Fear slowly crept its way up his spine, causing his body to give a shudder from a sudden chill. 'Can't get rid of a mouse if I can't see it.' Cloud thought to himself, remembering the fact that the power is out throughout the castle. He could just get up and look for a candle to light, but by the time he finds a candle, matches, and lights it, the mouse would already be long gone.

Cloud glanced over to his right, barely making out the shape of his trusty sword leaning against the nightstand next to his bed, 'I at least have my Buster Sword nearby just in case.' The thought alone makes him a bit more at ease. Still convinced that it's his imagination, he tries to will the footsteps out of his head like he's done so many times before. The footsteps are more like claws scratching lightly on the wooden floor. He thought of something else, anything to get his mind off the sounds, thinking if he doesn't hear them, they'll go away totally.

When all became silent once more, except for the rain pouring down outside, Cloud reopened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Cloud gave a sudden jump when something pulled at his blankets from the floor. His whole body froze up as he felt something crawling up onto his bed. With his eyes wide, and his breath caught in his throat, Cloud tries to see what ever is on his bed. He can feel the shift in the mattress, telling him that something had in fact crawled up into his bed, and it certainly wasn't a mouse.

Cloud's left hand shot out from under the covers to grab the hilt of his sword, where it remained for a time as he waited. He could feel something moving up his body from on top of the covers, but no matter how much he squinted into the darkness he could not make out a single thing. It glided across his covered body without pausing a beat. It stopped on his stomach and remained motionless. Cloud was too afraid to reach out with his other hand to see if there really is something there.

Lightening streaked across the sky once more, illuminating his room once more, if only for a few seconds. It was enough for Cloud to see that there is nothing resting on his stomach, or on his bed for that matter. He relaxed, drawing his hand away from his sword. His hand stopped a few inches away from the sword as he thinks, 'If there's nothing there, why does it feel like I have something on top of me?'

With that thought in mind, Cloud turned his gaze back in front of his. His gaze locked immediately with a pair of yellow orbs seemingly floating above him. The lightening cracked again, giving the room a silvery glow. Cloud immediately took in the strange creature's form. Its whole body was black, looking like some sort of shadow. The yellow orbs that seemed like they were just floating above him are the creature's eyes. It's head had no mouth, only two antenna's sticking out from the top of it's head, making it seem like some sort of insect. It's lean body stood only about two feet tall. Yet it's hands are comprised of four sharp fingers, or claws. One particular claw the shadow creature is holding up, as if preparing to strike him.

Cloud didn't wait another second. He doesn't know what this creature is, or if it's friend or foe. But one thing is for sure. He doesn't like it. He grabbed his sword quickly and slashed at the creature, at the same time the creature swung it's claw down towards him. The Buster Sword slashed through the creature cleanly, cutting it in half. Cloud expected the creature's blood and guts to shower down at him. He was a bit surprised when the creature just seemingly disappeared.

The blond leapt out of bed, and prepared to fight any other strange creatures crawling around in his room. When all seemed quiet, and nothing else seemed to be crawling around his room, Cloud relaxed, 'I think my imagination needs to take a vacation.' He thought to himself. His ears suddenly picked up several screams flowing throughout the castle. 'Mom, dad!'

Cloud dashed out of his room and into the main hall. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of a few dozen pair of yellow eyes crawling across the floor. He caught sight of his mother fleeing from several of the creatures. But they out numbered her, and forced her in a corner. "Mom!" Cloud shouted before racing towards her, praying that he could save her. He was too late however. One of the shadows jumped up onto her, the claws on its feet wrapping around her waist. It drew one of its clawed hands back and drove it into his mother's chest. He stopped dead in his track at the sound of his mother's scream. He watched in horror as the creature pulled its claw back out, holding what looked to be a heart.

The shadow jumped back and his mother's body dropped to the ground. The heart in the shadow's claw disappeared and his mother's body became nothing but a shadow for a moment before her form shifted into that which captured her heart. "NO!" Cloud cried out as he dropped to his knees in sorrow. All around him, other shadows began to surround him.

Cloud's brows furrowed as his grip tightened around the hilt of his Buster Sword. One particular shadow decided to leap forward, not aware of any sort of threat that Cloud may be. Cloud gave an angry shout as he slashed up at the shadow, cutting it cleanly in half. Other shadows hesitated a moment before they too began leaping forward, hell bent on bringing Cloud down. "I'll kill every last one of you!" Cloud announced as he dashed forward, holding his sword out to impale any shadows in his tracks.

It didn't take Cloud long to clear himself a path, in all the fighting he had heard the sounds of other's outside the castle. They had been shouting several things. He had only been able to pick up the word 'escape', which told him that other's were planning on fleeing the castle. 'Where's sensei? He could destroy all these creatures with ease.' Cloud thought to himself, confused as to why his teacher is nowhere to be found.

Heading towards the exit he caught sight of a small group of shadows circling something. Figuring it could only be another person, Cloud rushed forward, not wanting to fail once again. He jumped into the middle of the group and vanquished all of them quickly by spinning around like a tornado with his sword held out. They disappeared, but others began popping out everywhere quick enough. Glancing down at the unconscious little girl, Cloud picks her up and makes a run for it. The Shadows quickly give chase, following him at a slower pace.

Cloud could pick out people talking from down below the cliff, pass the waterfall. "Aren't there any others? Where the hell is everyone?" The blond hears the familiar voice of the castle's mechanic, Cid Highwind. Cloud made his way down further, careful not to drop the bundle in his arms.

'Cloud... ...Cloud

... Cloud'

Cloud forced himself into a quick stop, almost falling off the current platform he had been ready to jump off to the next. His gaze went towards the waterfalls. For a brief second he thought he saw his sensei walk through the waterfalls. "Sensei?" He called out. He didn't receive a response. Biting his lower lip in though, Cloud made up his mind and continued on. His gaze landed on the familiar forms of Squall and Cid outside a strange looking vessel that Cloud has never seen before. Through the various windows, Cloud could also see a few other people, an old lady holding a small girl with red hair, and Aerith.

"Cloud." Squall called out, as he attacked another shadow creature. Once everything seemed in the clear, he turned towards the blond fully, "You made it, good."

"Here." Cloud said, referring to the small girl in his arms.

Squall took hold of the girl in his arms, giving the blond some rest since he had just carried her all the way down. The girl opened up her eyes and looked up at the nineteen-year-old, "...Squall?" She called out tiredly.

"Shh... It's okay Yuffie, we're getting out of here." Squall said as he headed towards Cid's ship. He came back out a moment later once he dropped Yuffie off with Aerith. He noticed Cloud looking back in the direction he had come from, "This is everyone...'" Squall said quietly, "We have to leave."

"Go." Cloud said suddenly, without glancing to his friend. "I... I have to find sensei."

"He's gone Cloud. They're all gone." Squall said.

Cloud shook his head, not believing it, "No, I saw him on my way down. I did."

"Listen kid. This ship is leaving in five minutes, with you on it or not. So get on the damn ship." Cid ordered before stepping into his prized creation.

Squall grabbed Cloud by the arm, stopping him from running off. "Forget it Cloud. Get on the ship."

Cloud struggled in Squall's grasp, trying to break free from the nineteen-year olds grip, "No. I have to find sensei." Cloud thrashed about as Squall dragged him towards the ship, "Let.Me.Go!" Cloud struck out with his Buster Sword, the blade just cutting Squall across the face, between his eyes. Squall gave a surprised shout as his hands shot out to cover his bleeding face. Cloud didn't hesitate another second, he took off like a speeding bullet, heading towards where he last thought he saw his teacher. The sounds of Squalls calls go unheard as he got further and further away.

Cloud took a moment to try and catch his breath outside the waterfall before he would proceed further. As close as he is to the waterfall, it was deafening, he couldn't hear someone talking to him even if they were screaming from two feet away. Walking around the pond's edge, Cloud made his way behind the waterfall, only to find an opening into a cave that he didn't know existed.

"Sensei?" He called out into the cave, not sure whether he should go in or not. "Are you in here?" When he doesn't receive a reply, Cloud takes a step into the cave and begins heading down the tunnel. Where it leads, he can only guess. The walls of the cave glowed a faint greenish color, had he not been in a hurry, Cloud would have stopped to try and figure out what it was. Right now though, all he could think of is getting to his sensei and back to the ship on time. The strange glowing fluid acted sort of a guide for him, letting him know when there was an opening in the cave, and when it made a sudden turn.

He isn't sure how long he had hiked through the cave. He knew that any moment, some more of those strange creatures could jump out and attack him. The thought causes him to remain on his guard as he tries to find an end to the tunnel he's heading through. His ocean blue gaze picks up a brighter glow up ahead of the tunnel, causing him to pick up his pace, wanting to get anywhere that's not covered in darkness. The light ahead seemed to dull and brighten as if it was a way to show the cave is breathing. The pale green glow seemed to come from the center of the cavern up ahead. Cloud was anxious to reach it, to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. It would get him out of the darkness, if only for a little while.

Yet as he stepped into the larger cavern, his breath caught in his throat as he stared at the one man he had been searching for, standing near the source of the strange light. A strange glowing spring sat in the middle of the cavern, and his teacher seemed to be looking down into it. "So... you've come traitor."

"T-traitor?" Cloud said in confusion, "Me?" Cloud ignored the accusation for the time being, remembering what he came for, "Sensei, we have to get back to Cid's ship. He's going to be taking off. We'll be left behind. Those creatures will kill us if we stay."

His teacher turned around and locked his gaze with his pupil, his normally emerald colored eyes giving a hint of the strange pale green glow out of them, "I have nothing to fear of those Heartless. They are part of the darkness that was summoned here by me."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" The hairs on the back of Cloud's neck stood on end, a sign that something was definitely not right.

"Give in to the darkness and receive its power. Those who refuse the darkness are the traitors of this power. Darkness will cover this world and all others soon enough. Step out of the light and walk into the darkness. Its power is not one to refuse. This spring is this world's life force, its heart. The heartless strive to have this of each world, and I plan on giving it to them."

Cloud stepped back, suddenly becoming frightened as a realization crossed his mind; "You called those strange creatures to our home? They killed mother, and father. They killed many others in the castle as well!"

"Their hearts and their lives have been given to the darkness." His teacher held out a gloved hand towards Cloud, "Come, I'll take you to a place of everlasting darkness."

"Why? Why would you bring these creatures here? It's your fault that everyone is gone!" Cloud unsheathed his Buster Sword and with a battle cry, he leapt forth. The man he had once trusted and looked up to held his hands out at his sides and fell backwards, into the strange spring before Cloud got the chance to attack him. His body seemed to disappear instantly from the surface.

Cloud looked down into spring from the edge, wondering if the man would come back again. Searing pain came from his back as three claws struck him from behind, causing him to cry out in pain. He swung around with his sword and killed a shadow that had snuck up behind him. The moment his sword sliced through it though, another shadow leapt forward and wrapped it's greedy claws around him. Cloud couldn't stop the shadow from plunging one of its claws into his chest. The pain was something he never felt before. He could literally feel the creature's claw inching its way closer to his heart.

Everything seemed to black out when he felt the claw around his heart and begin to pull it out. Cloud stumbled backwards, falling off the edge and crashing into the spring below. Cloud gave a shout in the spring, the strange fluid rushes into his mouth and he begins to choke on it. The shadow wrapped around him seems to just fade away, as if it had incinerated. He tried swimming back towards the surface, but it only seemed like it made him sink faster and faster. His eyes felt as if they were on fire, and closing them didn't help them at all since the strange substance had already gotten into his eyes.

Suddenly, something felt as if it were moving inside his body. It took a moment before he realized that the creature that had grabbed hold of his heart might have just dug itself into his body for protection. Pain shot throughout his entire body, most of it gathering at his back, the pain seemed to move up his back all the way to his left shoulder blade. His eyes went wide as saucers as something ripped through his flesh, causing everything to turn crimson from his blood.

Then when he was sure that he was going to die, either from lack of oxygen or the blood loss, everything goes white a moment before he hits ground. He remains laying on the hot ground gasping for breath, as he tries to figure out what exactly happened. When he felt he regained himself, he sits himself up to find out where he is exactly. It didn't take him long to realize he's somewhere hot, and bright. The sand he landed in sticks to his face and his clothes. The sun shined mercilessly down at him.

He doesn't know where he is, but he decided it was some sort of town. There were many buildings made of clay, with tarps hanging from them to give some shade to the inhabitants. He noticed a few people around him dressed in rags and some dressed in robes, hurrying away from him while whispering to one another. Some seemed to have a frightened look across their face and some of them seemed mystified. He doesn't blame them though, from what he gets, he showed up out of nowhere.

Weakly, he pushes himself to his feet, before picking up his sword and sheathing it at his back. His entire body ached, especially his shoulder, but right now all he wants is some water to drink. He staggers over towards a large fountain sitting in the middle of what he guesses is a town. Once he reaches it, he dives his head under the water, not only to drink but also to rinse the sand off his face and out of his hair.

Feeling refreshed, and a bit cooled down now, he stands back up. He glances down at the water, and sees his reflection. His mouth slowly parts in shock, as he seems something incredibly off about his reflection. Sprouted from his left shoulder, something so huge and black sat, something he didn't recall ever having before. He had one wing. He stared into his own reflection's eyes, noticing a familiar pale green glow trapped within his ocean blue gaze, similar to what his teacher's eyes looked. Cloud became lost in the horror of it all.

The sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the room as a fist connected with a mirror. Pieces of the mirror fell piece by piece onto the dresser and onto the floor. The blond swordsman only glared even more hatefully at his shattered reflection, cursing the man he saw before him with all his being. Will there be a day he can look at his own reflection without thinking of that one fateful night? The night the Hollow Bastion was taken, and the night his heart began to be tainted by the darkness.

Cloud could only feel a bit of relief for the fact that no one was in the house at the moment. Aerith and Yuffie had run off to go shopping, and Leon had left to train or search for a job. Cloud isn't sure what his used-to-be best friend does nowadays besides keep a weary eye on him. The sensation of blood trickling down his knuckles and his hand brought him back to reality. Pulling his hand away from the mirror, Cloud stepped away from the dresser and walked over to his bed to sit down.

'Nine people survived the night that the Heartless came.' Cloud thought to himself in anger, 'A disappeared Ansem who was later to be behind all the Heartless, Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, that girl Kairi and her grandmother who died not too long after, myself, and one other. Someone I tried to find for nine years to get my chance. And when I do, it slips away once again.' Cloud covers his face with his hands, ignoring the fact that his right hand is bleeding, "Sephiroth..."

Cloud glanced up at the sound of the door opening up to the room. He remained expressionless as Leon stepped into the room. The gunblade specialist takes one glance at the mirror and another at Cloud's bleeding hand. It doesn't take him long to put two to two together. He doesn't comment however, he walks up to Cloud holds out a newspaper, "Its been going on a week. Now they have a picture of this 'demon' as Yuffie called it." Leon explained.

Cloud glanced at the picture. His face remained neutral as he stared at it. What Leon called a 'picture' was something blurred and out of focus. Obviously, whatever the person was trying to take a picture of, it was moving too fast for the camera to get a clear shot. The fact that everything is dark doesn't help matters. The only real thing that's able to made out, is what appears to be some sort of wing, what it looks like exactly is also impossible to make out.

"You may think that I'm crazy for asking." Leon began, though Cloud could make out the sarcasm in his tone, "But I have to ask nevertheless, if not for my own knowledge, than for everyone else's. Are you the 'demon?'"

Cloud took another look at the picture and lowered his head. Leon stood in his place, waiting for Cloud's answer. He wasn't leaving until he got one. "..." Cloud raised his head, and locked his gaze with Leon's, ready to answer the question...

Damn... I'm evil 0) MWAHAHAHAHA! Sorry. But I just couldn't help myself. This chapter was just basically a small little filler for Cloud's past, though more of it will be revealed later on. What is Cloud's answer? Hmm hmm hmm... I guess y'all will just have to wait till the next chapter to find out. Ah... I love being such a jackass! Review!


	12. Downfall Of The Lion

HyperatedRikku- lol, well, I guess I could try for some Clouffie in this chapter. No promises though. Especially since it may be hard with the scene I already have planned for them.

Aniis- Yeah, Sephiroth doesn't seem to be in Kh for any particular reason, except for the Final Mix version. But he's still fun to beat on. I tried my best to give him a believable relation to Kh lol.

chillywilly101- Mmm... Chocolate chip muffin... Oh! Can I get a blueberry one next time? They're my favorite . Heeheehee, you thought Cloud's past was sad? Well, I mean, yeah it is, but everyone's is when you think about it. I just find his more uh... (Can't think of the word) I'll figure it out later.

MariQ- V/Y Used to be my favorite pairing in FF7. But after reading so many of them, and the repetitive ideas and everything, I kind of slipped out of it. I still read them occasionally though.

Vampiegurl- lol, you can keep Vincent. So you're convinced that it's Sephiroth are you? Well.. I bet you'll have doubts after this chapter heeheehee! I'm actually planning a small sequel to C.O.E. myself. I haven't really decided whether I'm actually going to do it though. I may just end up leaving it as is, well I mean when I finish it lol.

ChibiYuffie1- Well, it'll be something along those lines lol. Sorry there wasn't any Clouffie in the last chapter. Can't make all of them have some though.

MystiKoorime- Thanks. I did my best on Cloud's face. And since I don't recall Leon ever mentioning how he got the scar in Kh, I just decided to throw it in as a bonus. Though I'm not 100 sure if Leon has that scar in Kh or not. Oh well!

Niko- Thanks , Here's the next chapter.

Luvbobbyo01- Well, I've finally got this update up. Sorry about the cliiffie lol.

SakuraAngelina- Now whoever said Sephiroth was the demon? (Glances around at all the hands being raised) Wow... Okay... (Sweatdrops). Well anyway, glad you enjoyed the small insight on Cloud's past.

And I Promise- I don't know about Cloud's father. He has to have one though it's not like he was born from just his mother, so I just threw in his father. Squall didn't get the scar from Cloud in Final Fantasy VIII if that's what you mean, cuz that would be impossible, Cloud isn't in that game. He got it from another person. But in Kh, Leon doesn't tell us how he got the scar, so I made up my own answer to that question. The FF8 world and Kh, aren't really related, only the characters. So it doesn't really matter how Squall gets the scar in FF8 and how Leon gets it in Kh.

Blood Darkness- You really got the impression that Cloud knows the demon? Heh... I didn't mean to do something like that. Guess it's just how people think.

NeonRaine- Sephiroth is cool, he's one of my favorite Final Fantasy 7 characters, right up there with Cid, Vincent, and Zack. Yes Zack. I know, weird.

Kamden-The answer for who the demon is will be answered in this chapter, well, not really, more like it will cross off a few people.

Rikuslovelyalchemistwriter- New reviewer, Lo---ng name. Yeesh! I had to write this one down to make sure I get it right lol. Cookies for reviewing? Um... Sure I guess lol. (Passes around chocolate chip cookies) Is that good?

Disclaimer- I do not own Kingdom Hearts

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Downfall Of The Lion

Cloud Strife

'No one helped me while I stood

The rain enveloped me, my heart floats, it's driftwood

Black drapes conceal me, nothing shines through

Emotion is nonexistent, how about you?

A monster is all I am, a demon's keep

A coven of devils from hell's darkest reach

And so I'll stand here alone and let my life pass

With only silence and loneliness'

"Do you think of me as that untrustworthy?" Cloud spoke, his voice raised slightly in anger, the only emotion Leon has seen thus far that manages to break through the blonde's barriers. Leon wasn't sure how to answer Cloud's question. So he did the next best thing, he didn't speak.

Cloud closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to will his anger away. At the moment he felt, betrayed. He knew this would be coming however, who else besides him would be a likely suspect? Yet he still couldn't help the fact that he feels that Leon has betrayed their friendship by even questioning him on the subject. There was a time when they both trusted in one another, and believed in each other. That time, evidently, has long since passed. "If I were to tell you that I'm not what's making the front pages, you would still be suspicious of me until you've seen whatever this is with your own eyes."

Leon wasn't going to deny that. He knew himself if Cloud does tell him that he's not the demon, he would still doubt the blonde's word and keep an eye out for him. Even if Cloud was telling the truth, he can't be sure of that on Cloud's word alone. He would need evidence. Leon's way of thinking nowadays seems to go along the lines of 'Guilty until proven innocent', completely opposite of what it's suppose to be.

Cloud stood up from his seat on the bed before heading towards the door, "I'll just humor you and tell you I'm not." Cloud finally answered, though his tone had a harsh bite to it, "Though I don't see the point in it when you won't believe me. I'm going to wrap my hand up, don't bother me." With that said, Cloud slammed the bedroom door shut, obviously heading towards the bathroom where he can find some sort of wrap for his hand.

Leon let out a breath as he ran a hand through his long brown locks and with his other crunching the newspaper in its grip. 'Should of guessed he'd react that way.' He thought as he slowly headed out of the bedroom, ignoring the broken mirror for the time being. 'I need a drink, a strong one.' Leon decided to do something he hadn't done in ages, hit the bar. With some alcohol in his system he might just calm his tense muscles, and clear his mind of all the unwelcome thoughts.

Cloud heard the front door close from his place in the bathroom. He knew it was Leon leaving, he didn't care though. He didn't feel like seeing him at the moment anyway. Cloud took a moment to calm his anger down, finding it harder than usual. Why he's beginning to have trouble controlling anger nowadays is beyond him. 'Why can't he just trust me?' Cloud wonders to himself. His brows furrow in anger as the answer crossed his mind, 'Couldn't be because you almost killed a man, now could it Cloud?' He berated himself.

The blonde shook his head before focusing at the task of wrapping his wounded hand up in gauze. "Those endless deserts surrounding the Coliseum are beginning to look inviting once more." He muttered to himself. As much as he despised how bright that world gets, Cloud would be more than happy to go there again, if it weren't for the fact that going to that world would be pretty useless to him right now. Especially since there aren't any tournaments being held there for awhile.

The sudden crash of thunder and lightening draws Cloud over to the bathroom's window. He brushed the white curtains out of the way to glance outside. Rain pounded mercilessly down on the roof of the house and the streets outside. He watched, entranced, as the large drops of water exploded on the surface, drenching everything in sight. 'Just like that night.' Cloud thought to himself.

"Aerrrith! Come on! It's raining out! I'm getting soaked here!" Yuffie continued to urge the older woman forward, while at the same time, trying to keep the large paper bags in her arms from falling apart, which would lead to all the groceries being dropped on the pavement. She would rather not be stuck picking the groceries up off the ground in the middle of a thunderstorm.

"Don't worry Yuffie, we're almost there." Aerith said reassuringly. Despite the downpour, her smile remained on her face, enjoying the rain as if it were a blessing. Yuffie on the other hand, practically jumps out of her shoes every time a crack of thunder or lightening shakes the town. "See? I told you we were almost there." Aerith said upon seeing their home.

"GAWD! Finally!" Yuffie explained a moment before she sped on ahead to get out of the storm. She shuffled all the grocery bags into one arm in order to free one of her hands, enabling her to open the door. She left the door open behind her, knowing that Aerith will close it when she enters.

She entered the kitchen, leaving a nice water trail behind her, and hefted the heavy waterlogged bags onto the counter. She was more than happy to get rid of the extra weight. 'I wonder where Leon is.' Yuffie thought automatically when she noticed his absence. The young ninja watched Aerith enter the kitchen to get rid of her own load of grocery bags.

'Hmm... Maybe he's in his room.' With that idea in mind, she scurried down the hallway. On her way down, her foot landed on something that let out a loud 'crunch' sound. Her eyes fell on the sight of a crumbled up newspaper. Curious as to why it's laying in the middle of the hallway, Yuffie picks it up. Her attention is immediately caught on the sight of the Traverse demon, or a poor photograph of it. 'Uh-oh... I have a bad feeling about this.'

Yuffie walked quicker, without bothering to knock, she entered the guy's room, only to find it empty. What she found though, was a broken mirror and glass shards scattered about the floor. Yuffie began to panic, her mind imagining the worst case scenarios, 'Oh my god, Leon and Cloud fought, did they kill each other? Are they hurt? Where are they? What happened? Leon's been suspicious of Cloud, but this is ridiculous!' The sight of some blood on the mirror only made her panic grow.

Wanting to know where the two are, and hoping that they are still in the house somewhere, Yuffie ran out of the room and began opening up random doors in her panic. She didn't even take a moment to think that no one could fit in the small closet outside the bathroom, before opening it, only to find what's normally there. Shelves full of towels and wash clothes. Yuffie turned to the next door, but instead of just opening the bathroom door abruptly, Yuffie decided to knock. The memory of what happened last time she entered unannounced is still fresh in her mind.

"...I'm in here."

Yuffie let out a sigh of relief upon hearing Cloud's voice on the other side of the door, "Um... Do you know where Leon is?" Yuffie asked uncertain, hoping that Cloud wouldn't answer the way her mind has been forming up.

"He went... out."

"Oh..." Yuffie shifted from foot to foot, "Um... what happened to the mirror?"

"..."

"Cloud?"

"I punched it."

Yuffie blinked, a bit surprised at his answer. She was expecting something along the lines of, 'I smashed Leon's head into it.' Or vice versa. But that doesn't take out the possibility that there was a fight, "Why did you do that?"

Cloud opened the door and his eyes locking with hers in a furious glare. It makes Yuffie wish she could just go hide under a rock, away from him. Anywhere as long as she isn't the target of such a look from him, "Do you have to ask so many questions?" He asked, his voice raising a bit. "I don't know why I punched it, I just felt like it. I'll pay for it myself if that's what you're worried about."

Yuffie squirmed away form under his gaze a bit, "No.." She said a bit quickly, too frightened to raise her own voice at him, "I was just wondering."

"No..." Cloud urged on, "You thought I threw Leon into it." How he managed to guess correctly, is beyond Yuffie. She was surprised that he was able to guess it right on, that it made her flinch a bit, "But I guess I can see why you would think that. I am the crazy one around here, attacking people in the middle of the night and robbing stores. That's right, look at me! I'm the one everyone fears in this town. I'm some sort of demon!"

Before Yuffie could even get a word out, Cloud slammed the door in front of her face. Air brushed her hair back out of her eyes from the force of the door closing. For a few moments, Yuffie just stood there, wishing nothing more than to just run into her room and cry. Instead of letting herself cry however, she covered it up with her own anger, "Well you didn't have to be such an asshole about it!" Yuffie screeched before stomping her way back towards the kitchen.

Aerith was either too busy with cooking dinner for the night, or just chose to ignore their argument. Either way, she didn't question Yuffie or give her any strange looks when she plopped down on the kitchen table. For that, Yuffie's glad. She doesn't feel like explaining anything to anyone at the moment.

Leon ran his hand through his soaking wet hair as he remained standing out in the rain. He watched as people passed him by from his spot, leaning against the side of Traverse Town's newest restaurant. He can still here the music playing from the lower level of the restaurant. The place seemed to have gotten even more popular since he was there with everyone else. There's lines of people waiting to get into the restaurant now.

He was originally going to go in for the bar, but upon seeing the long wait, Leon just settled with standing out in the cold rain. He can clear his mind without the use of alcohol anyway. He'd rather not start picking up the habit once more either. His thought's went to a certain blond swordsman, 'Why can't I just trust him the same way I did all those years ago?'

He knew the answer to the question, though he really doesn't want to admit it. It's no longer the way it used to be. They're no longer the people living in Hollow Bastion. What's worse is the old saying that seems to play the key role in his life now, 'Time changes all, even people.' Cloud isn't the same little kid he used to spar with in Hollow Bastion. Yet Leon has to admit that he's no longer the same nineteen year old also. Everyone has changed, some more so than others.

'If he hadn't run off on his own, none of this would be happening. He should of stayed with us.' Even after nine years, Leon can't help think of how foolish Cloud had been to take off without them. Everyone thought he died at Hollow Bastion, or that he had become another slave to the darkness. They all thought that. As far as he knows at least. With such little hope of ever seeing their friend again, of course it was a shock to find Cloud at the Coliseum. Leon didn't seem to have a problem with Cloud at the Coliseum, it almost felt like old times having him fighting by his side.

'So why now? Why do I find it hard to accept him?' As hard as he searched, he couldn't find the answers. After deciding that he had gotten soaked to the bone, Leon pushed himself off the building and headed towards home.

As he walked down the street with his head bowed to the ground and his hands shoved into his pockets, he couldn't help feel as if he were being watched by something, or someone. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, telling him something isn't right. 'Should've grabbed my gunblade before leaving.' Leon thought to himself.

Not feeling comfortable out in the open, Leon makes his way down the alley, an alternate route to the house he's living in with everyone else. Every now and then, he'd occasionally look over his shoulder to see if anyone is following him, but every time he looks back, all he sees is an empty alley.

His own footsteps seemed to sound a bit off to him, as if someone were trying to mimic his own steps to remain hidden in the darkness. Becoming aggravated, Leon spun on his heels to look back down the path he came from, "If there's something out there, show yourself!" He only received silence as an answer. Leon scowled as he thought, 'Probably just a bunch of stupid punks aiming to get my wallet.' He scanned the area once more, still not finding anything, "Come out and fight if that's what you want!" Leon let out a sigh and ran his hand through his wet hair, 'I really must be going crazy. I'm shouting at nothing.' Leon turned around and began heading down the alley once more.

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"Anytime..."

Leon stopped dead in his tracks, having heard the faint whisper. Where it came from, Leon didn't have a clue, but one thing is for sure, 'I didn't imagine that.' He couldn't shake the fact that his whole body felt a sudden chill just from that one word. He turned around again to see if he could spot anything, yet all he could see is darkness; the dim streetlight not even lighting much of the alley.

That's when Leon saw something surprisingly off about a certain stack of crates set up near the back of one the building. Seemingly floating above the crates are a pair of two glowing orbs; eyes starring right at him. Leon's eyes looked into the crimson eyes, finding his body suddenly unable to move. He just stood there, starring at the eyes, unable to make out any other form besides them. The eyes grew smaller as whatever person or thing owning them, narrowed their eyes.

Leon took a, unsteady step back, and that's when the creature lunged forward. It soared across the distance between them quickly, only appearing like a black streak as it dashed through the little available light. Upon making out the sight of two enormous wings, the only thought that went through Leon's mind was, 'I was wrong.'

Cloud took the last bit of shattered glass from the broken mirror and threw it away. 'Shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me.' He thought while going over the scene between him and Yuffie earlier that evening. Once he was sure it was clear, he had left the bathroom and locked himself in Leon's and his room, where he is currently. He hadn't come out of his room since, not even when Aerith announced that dinner was done and that he should come out and eat. He doesn't want to leave the privacy of his room. If he were to go out there, he'd have to face Yuffie, who is most likely still angry at him.

He doesn't blame her if she is though. After all, he sort of just exploded on her for no reason. She had a right to question him about the broken mirror. He just doesn't like the fact that everyone seems to have such little faith in him. He thought Yuffie believed differently than Leon and probably Aerith since she defended him against Leon's accusations when he was standing up on the rooftop, but now it appears differently. 'I guess it's perfectly natural for them to be suspicious of me since I always disappear in the middle of the day without even telling them where I am, and then show up just in time for dinner.'

Cloud had the urge to sigh, but he just kept it in, not finding it in any way useful to do anyway. He knew that Leon's suspicion had grown this past week. The gunblade specialist went as far as following Cloud one day when he left. Luckily for Cloud, he managed to lose Leon before he found out what he's been up to the entire week. He'd rather not let them know.

Cloud's stomach gave a soft rumble, telling him that he is indeed hungry. After much debating, Cloud chose to go out and grab his dinner, luckily it'll still be warm considering Aerith only finished it about ten minutes ago. After unlocking the door, he silently left the confines of his shared room and headed towards the kitchen.

He paused a few moments at the doorway, and looked in the kitchen to see Aerith and Yuffie still sitting at the table, silently eating their food. Which surprised Cloud due to the fact that Yuffie hadn't finished her dinner in record breaking time. With further speculation, he figured out the reason why she hadn't shoved the food down her throat like usual. She's just poking her food leisurely, not really focusing on the food in front of her, instead it looks like her mind is elsewhere besides food.

Aerith was the first to notice Cloud standing in the doorway. She glanced up from her plate and smiled before giving a, "Hello Cloud." Which the blonde responded to with a nod. "I made you a plate, it's sitting on the counter."

With a soft 'thank you' Cloud headed toward the mentioned plate, keeping his eyes focused on that and not to the fact that Yuffie hadn't even bothered to glance up at him. After grabbing a plate he headed towards the other end of the counter to grab a fork from a drawer. He stood still a moment at the counter before deciding he'll eat in his room. He walked around the table from the other side, as he passes Yuffie, he mutters a quiet, "I'm sorry." With that said, he left the kitchen to head towards his room.

When Cloud is gone from her sight, Yuffie grins widely as she sits up straighter. Seeing her younger friends sudden mood change, Aerith gives a questioning look as if saying 'What?' Yuffie just shook her head before she began wolfing her food down; feeling considerably better from Cloud's apology.

The two women hear the front door open and close, causing them both to look up at each other, "Guess Leon's back." Yuffie says with a mouthful of food.

Aerith nodded her head in agreement before calling out, "Leon! The food's done! Come and join us."

"...Cloud..." They heard him say from the other room, as he took heavy steps towards the kitchen.

"He went to your guys' room with his plate." Aerith answered, not getting up from her spot at the kitchen table.

Both women look over to the doorway at the sound of the sharp jingle of Leon's boots and belts as steps to the entrance of the door way. He stood there silently completely drenched from the storm; one hand supporting him on the wall, while the other is clutching his chest; his head is bowed, causing his long dark hair to cover his face from their gaze. Water seemed to drip from every part of him and onto the kitchen's clean tile floor.

"Are you alright Leon?" Aerith asked, feeling a bit concerned.

"Yeah... You don't look so good." Yuffie added in quickly.

Leon lifted his head up, blood running down his face from his scalp. His lips formed a small smirk before he dropped to the ground; his hand on the wall leaving a trail of blood on the white surface as he fell.

"Leon/Squall!" They shouted in union as they leapt out of their seats to run to their friends aid.

Aerith was the first to snap out of her shock. She turned Leon on to his back and grabbed him from the shoulders, "Yuffie, grab his feet." She ordered quickly. Yuffie did as they told and the two lifted him off the floor, "Lets get him in one of the rooms." She said, thinking quickly.

"Alright." Yuffie said and led the way out of the kitchen. Looking over her shoulder to see where she is going, Yuffie found one of the room's door open. She didn't even bother to think of the fact that the room that's open is her own, she had more things to worry about, like Leon. "In here." Yuffie said, her voice strained from Leon's weight. Aerith just nodded her head and the two began half carrying, half dragging Leon into the room.

By the time the two had made it to the bed and were in the process of hefting Leon up into the bed, Cloud had come out of his room to see what all the commotion was about. He quickly ran over to the group and helped them get the older man up onto the bed, not bothering to ask what had happened since he figured they wouldn't know anyway.

Aerith pulled Leon's right hand away, which was still clutched to his chest. She tried to see what his injuries were but couldn't see anything. She removed his leather jacket, her throat went dry and her mouth clamped shut at the sight of blood on his white shirt. Yuffie and Cloud remained off to the side to allow Aerith space to do her 'expertise.' As gently as possible, Aerith pulled off Leon's shirt and nearly gasped at the sight of the three deep gashes across Leon's torso. "Someone go get me the medical kit." Aerith called out, "And a bowl of warm water with a clean washcloth.' Yuffie and Cloud both left to get the mentioned items, not wanting to leave Aerith waiting.

"But I wanna help." Yuffie said as Aerith literally pushed her out of the room, HER room.

"There's nothing else to be done." Aerith replied once she had Yuffie out of the room, "Leon just needs to rest. So no body disturb him."

Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest, her bottom lip pushed out in a pout. Cloud quickly took the clue and silently stepped out of the room. "Try getting some rest." Aerith told them before closing the bedroom door behind her, leaving the two standing out in the hallway.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, each wondering how Leon is doing, "He'll be fine."

Yuffie nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Cloud's voice, having not expected him to speak. She turned her gaze on him and watched as he walked to his and Leon's room's door. Yuffie looked back at her own door and smacked her head, 'Duh! Now where am I suppose to sleep?' She considered the option of stealing Aerith's bed, but she doesn't know whether or not Aerith plans on going to her own bed later.

She toyed with the thought of slipping back into her own room and climbing into bed with Leon. Not only would it be one of her dreams come true, but it would definitely give the gunblade wielder quite a scare. She can only imagine what Leon's initial thought would be if he did wake up with her sleeping next to him.

She knew she had no chance of doing it though. That's when a new idea hit her, 'Since Leon has my bed, then it's only fair that I get to take his for tonight.' Yuffie gave an involuntary jump as a crack of thunder roared outside. Yuffie scrambled over to the guys' bedroom door and knocked on it.

She shifted from foot to foot nervously, afraid of what Cloud would say when she told him she'd be sleeping in the room. She stopped fidgeting as the doorknob began to jingle. Cloud cracked open the door and peered out with one blue eye. "Shouldn't you be going to bed?" Cloud asks, his voice without a trace of sleepiness.

"I would, but Leon is passed out on it if you remember correctly." Yuffie replied quickly.

"... Did Aerith want me to move him to his own bed, so you can sleep?"

'Geez... He isn't going to make this easy.' Yuffie thought to herself, getting a bit impatient, "No! I wouldn't sleep in my bed even if he was moved." Yuffie stuck her tongue out in disgust, "His blood would still be on my sheets." Cloud didn't reply, he remained standing there peering out through the slightly opened door. Yuffie rolled her eyes at Cloud's obvious slowness, "I want to sleep in here. I can sleep in Leon's bed since he's in mine."

"..."

Thunder roared outside once more, causing Yuffie to give a small shudder as she waits for Cloud to choose whether she can sleep in the room or not. "Alright." Cloud said, his voice barely above a whisper. He opened the door fully to allow Yuffie entrance.

Yuffie eyes widened slightly as she stared at the shirtless man in front of her. Apparently, Cloud had been in the process of going to sleep before she had knocked on his door. Yuffie can't be sure, but she could swear there's a small stream of drool running out of her gaping mouth. 'Mmm... Cloudy!' "Um..." Yuffie somehow managed to peel her eyes off of his chest, and raise them to his eyes, which were giving her a look that seemed to say, 'What?' Yuffie could feel her face heat up, no doubt turning into a deep scarlet. She's just grateful for the lights being out so the darkness could hide her flushed face.

Yuffie may very well have stood out there all night if a crack of thunder hadn't caused her to leap into the room, making the blonde to give her a strange look before closing the door behind him. Yuffie jumped up into Leon's bed and immediately pulled the covers up to her chin, her stormy grey eyes gazing out from the black comforter. She watched as Cloud headed back to his own bed, across the room. His boots clunked on the floor as he pulled them off. Having obviously finished getting ready to sleep, remaining only in his dark baggy mercenary pants, Cloud laid across his white sheeted bed on his side; his back turned to Yuffie.

Yuffie inhaled deeply, her nose catching a scent that could only be Leon's. Yuffie's eyes glazed over as she inhaled deeply in the pillow, the scents of Leon's shampoo and his own unique scent mingled within the pillow. She could feel her body tucked in a valley in Leon's bed, his body having made an impression on the mattress. 'Mm... I could die now and go happy.' Yuffie thought to herself.

The mighty heavens erupted above once more, causing Yuffie to lose track of her short lived fantasy. She clutched the blankets around her more tightly, 'I hate lightening. I hate thunder. I hate storms.' As if sensing her thoughts, the thunder erupted once more, 'Rain, rain, go the hell away, don't come again another day.' The rain seemed to die down until it was just a light rain, which made her feel much more comfortable for the moment.

Her gaze went towards the room's other occupant. Dark and dangerous, Cloud looked, sprawled out in his bed of whiteness. It was strangely enchanting, how good the darkness looked on him. How it leapt to cover his figure as if to hide it from her probing eyes. Lightening flashed outside the window, briefly throwing the inky shadow of the curve of his shoulder and his spiky hair against the wall in front of him.

The once subtle thunder exploded loudly that Yuffie felt the whole house shake from it's power. Yuffie literally leapt out of her bed, her heart racing and her breathing coming in rapid breaths. She stood in her place, remained covering her entire form. 'GAWD! I'm such a sissy. Afraid of thunder!' Yuffie berated herself. She's a ninja, she shouldn't be afraid of something so harmless as thunder. 'I'd feel better if there was some light in here or something.' Lightening flashed once more. Yuffie's brows furrow in annoyance, 'That's not what I meant.'

Yuffie bit her bottom lip as she stared at Cloud's motionless form, 'Maybe if I had someone close by I wouldn't be so afraid.' The idea wasn't exactly totally out of the blue. When she was younger, Aerith would share a bed with her when there was a thunderstorm, and it had helped her then, so why not now? 'He'll probably just laugh at me... wait... this is Cloud... He doesn't laugh.' Yuffie rolled her eyes at the thought, she didn't believe it. Somewhere deep down in that depressing and emotionless capsule he calls a body has got to be some sort of heart. One that allows him to feel all sorts of emotions, the same as hers. 'Ok... I'll just see if he's awake. If he's asleep I'll just go back to my own bed, er... Leon's bed.'

With her mind made up, Yuffie tiptoed across the cold wooden floor, making sure not to trip over anything, including her own two feet. She stopped at the edge of Cloud's bed. Her throat went dry, finding it hard to speak out. "Cloud, you awake?" Yuffie whispered into the night, not having the ability to speak any louder due to her nerves. When she didn't get a response, she reaches out and with one finger she taps his shoulder, "Cloud?"

His reaction seemed spontaneous. Cloud spun around in his bed, his left hand grabbing hold of her wrist while his right grabbed the hilt of his massive sword sitting at the end of his bed. For a the split second, Yuffie thought she was about to have her head disconnected from her neck. When Cloud seemed to realize who he's got in a death grip, his hand left the Buster Sword's hilt, yet his other hand remained clutching her wrist, "What are you doing over here?" Cloud asked in monotone, much to Yuffie relief considering she thought he would begin yelling at her for some strange reason.

Yuffie's face contorted into pain, "Geez, you think I can have some circulation in my hand?" Yuffie asked referring to the death grip on her wrist. Cloud obliged, letting her hand go. Yuffie wrapped herself up in Leon's blanket. Yuffie shifted under the blonde's questioning gaze. Yuffie felt her body shudder, whether or not it was the soft thunder, she isn't sure. "Um... I was wondering... if.. if I could share your bed." Yuffie lowered her head to the floor, unsure whether the darkness can fully hide her blush.

Cloud blinked in confusion at the young ninja, "Did you want to switch?"

Yuffie felt like smacking herself, she just knew it wouldn't be this easy. She just wished her heart would stopped pounding against her chest like a jackhammer. "No.. I mean, no. I just... Heh heh... yeah." Well that was it, she just lost every bit of nerve she had. There's no way she can bring herself to explain exactly what she wants. So she just stood there, her gaze remained directed to the floor as she waited for Cloud's decision. No scale could ever measure the amount of embarrassment she's feeling. She'll die of embarrassment if Cloud sends her back to Leon's bed.

Cloud gave his silent answer by scooting over and lifting up the covers to allow Yuffie to slip underneath. Yuffie quickly crawled in before he could change his mind, muttering a soft 'thank you' to him in the process. Once she was settled, Cloud turned back around to face the wall. Yuffie didn't care though, it's not like she expected him to talk to her as she laid next to him. He did exactly what she asked, share his bed with her.

Yuffie did feel a bit more comfortable with Cloud next to her. She doesn't feel as frightened as she did before. Now she just has a new problem. She's wide awake. Yuffie blew a few locks of her short hair out of her eyes, feeling rather bored. She glanced over to Cloud, or rather his back considering that's the only thing she could see of him besides his blonde spikes. Her eyes focused on the one lone scar on his shoulder blade. The scar was thin, no wider than a her index finger, it ran along his entire shoulder blade.

It didn't take long for Yuffie to figure out that the scar was caused by his wing. Her hand seemed to grow a mind of her own, without thinking, she reached out from her cocoon of blankets and ran a finger down the scar. Cloud didn't so much as flinch from her touch, which Yuffie guessed was because he may be asleep. She traced her finger over it, feeling the rough texture of his skin against the smoother skin. "Are you going to poke me the entire night?" Cloud asked.

Yuffie snapped her hand back, muttering a soft apology. Her eyes remain focused on the scar however. "Does it hurt?" Yuffie asks, knowing he's still awake.

He remained silent for a few moments, leading her to believe that he wasn't going to answer, "...Only for a moment."

"Oh." Was the only thing Yuffie can think to say, "Where does it go? Does it just disappear?"

"...I don't know. I guess it retracts into my body somewhere."

"Have you always had it?"

"...No"

"How'd you get it?"

She could hear Cloud let out a sigh, a sign that he may be getting annoyed by her constant questions, "I'd rather not talk about it." He answered in a tone that signaled an end of the conversation.

"Okay..." Yuffie replied, taking the hint. The two remained silent. Lightening casts its eerie glow inside the room, causing Yuffie to curl up in a sort of ball. "I hate thunder and lightening." Yuffie said quietly, not really caring whether he was listening or not. She just felt like she needed to get it out, "I've been afraid of it longer than I can remember."

Cloud shifted his position, turning around to look at Yuffie. He remained silent as he watched her, his eyes locked with her own, although she didn't seem to actually be looking at him. "I don't even know why I hate it so much. It's a stupid phobia I guess."

"I don't think so." Cloud replied a little above a whisper, "There's probably a good reason why your fear it so much." He had a pretty good idea why she's afraid of the thunder and lightening, but he wasn't going to explain it. "You'll grow out eventually."

Yuffie gave him a small smile, "Goodnight Cloud." She said before she turned around and closed her eyes.

Cloud stared at her back for a few moments before saying, "Goodnight."

Ok! Well... This is a long enough chapter... Jesus... Ten pages long without counting the pages the replies took. I think this is my longest chapter yet. They seem to be getting longer and longer. Well, I guess Cloud is crossed off the suspects list. This chapter turned out differently than I originally planned actually. But ideas just kept coming and coming. I think I like how it turned out. Not much else to say at the moment, so just leave me a review!


	13. The Morning After

Howdy everyone! Sorry for the delay, I hadn't had the internet in a while. But I got it back now, and I have this chapter done with. Wow... Okay... there's a lot of reviews. 00 Um... since it's a little late and this chapter is already a bit long, I'm going to have to skip replies this time around, sorry. I'll make sure to do next chapter. Big thanks to everyone who has reviewed though.

But there is one thing I'd like to comment on. I can't remember who said it, someone said it seems like I haven't played Final Fantasy 7 before. I first read that and I laughed. I have played Final Fantasy 7 and beaten it many, many times. So many times that I can't count them all. If some of the characters seem out of character for any of you, it's because I'm trying to keep them within Kingdom Hearts type deal. Plus... I'm usually not one to write a romance/comedy/drama or w/e you call this type of story. Most of my fics are Action/Adventure... I'm not mad at the review nor am I uh... flaming the reviewer, I just like to make things 'Clear'. Anyway... I've ranted enough. LEt's get on with this long waited chapter.

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts

__

The Morning After

Yuffie Kisaragi

'What is with everyone starring at me?

You may look but you cannot see

Who I really am, and what I'm really planning

I'm young and I'm scheming

I may look weak but I'm really strong

Underestimating me would be wrong

I have pride and a heart that's confused

Yet if you offer answers, they'll be refused'

__

Leon cried out as his head smashed against the brick wall of one of the buildings. He instantly felt dizzy, his world began to spin. It took him a moment to realize that he wasn't standing up on his feet. His knees buckled as he forced himself back on to his feet. He kept his gaze out into the darkness, to try and catch a glimpse of the creature. All he needs is to see those glowing red orbs and he'll know where the creature is.

The flap of a wing echoed in the ally. Leon quickly turned towards the sound. He immediately felt his chest being torn by the creatures razors sharp digits on each of its hands. The blood rushed out of his wounds and he fell again, his hands clutching placed above his wounds to try and stop the bleeding. The creature kicked him in the side, hurling him back to a pile of stacked crates. Wood shattered as he crashed through them, the wood covered most of him, and even though he knew he could get up, Leon wasn't willing to.

Leon remained in his place as the creature loomed over him, the darkness seeming to envelope the creature as its bloody gaze stared right down at him. The claws on its right hand glimmered in the night as it raised it up for the deathblow. For a moment it remained posed in that position, as if to laugh at Leon for beating him.

Then it hurled its claw forward. Leon's hand struck out from the pile of shattered wood and captured the attackers wrist to prevent it from laughing a single claw on him. "Leon..." The creature called out as it tried pulling away, but Leon would not let go, his grip on the creature's wrist only tightened, "Leon you're hurting me." Leon brows furrowed in anger as his free hand grabbed a broken piece of wood to use it as a stake.

"Leon let go!"

Aerith attempted to pull her arm free of Leon's grasp. It was only when he finally woke up and let her go that she was free from his death grip on her wrist. She took a moment to rub her sore wrist and rotate it to make sure it wasn't seriously hurt. Leon took the opportunity to take in his surroundings. He quickly figured out that he was in Yuffie's room and not his own. "How long have I been out?" He asked, his gaze settling on Aerith.

Aerith stepped back up at the side of the bed and grabbed the damp washcloth she had dropped, "Not long, only the entire night." She replied quieting, not sure whether she should ask what had happened. She ran the washcloth over the wounds on his chest, remembering to be cautious of them. When Leon tensed up Aerith muttered a quick apology.

"It's cold." Leon stated. He tried sitting up but the pain was too much for him to bare and he settled back down. Aerith didn't even bother telling him he shouldn't move. She knew he'd try anyway so it was best for him to find out first hand whether he could get up or not. At least she won't have to worry about him doing it again. "What time is it?" Leon asked, not exactly comfortable with the silence.

"Around seven in the morning." Aerith answered immediately.

"...Where's Yuffie?" He asked since he noticed that he's taking her bed.

"Um... I think she went and slept on the coach last night. I'm not sure though. I didn't look when I woke up this morning." Leon just nodded his head and became quiet. Aerith's eyes moved from her work at hand to Leon face, noticing that he had become deep in thought. "So... you got pretty beaten up last night." She stated, trying to get into the subject.

"I should've had my gunblade with me." Leon muttered in slight anger for his stupidity, "I would've beaten it then."

"It?" Aerith questioned, pausing from her work.

"...The demon in Traverse..." Leon lowered his gaze, as if shamed at what he's going to say next, "I know it's not Cloud now."

Leon expected Aerith to question him about how he could even think Cloud was the one to blame in the first place. She doesn't however, she just nods her head and says, "That's a relief." After a moment Aerith adds, "I guess that explains how you got these wounds." She said, referring to the three gashes along his torso.

With one finger, Aerith traces one of the gashes, feeling the agitated flesh. Aerith gave a startled jump when Leon grabbed her wrist again. Realizing what she was doing, Aerith took a step back and tried to cover up her embarrassment, "You must be hungry. I'll go get you some breakfast." With that said, Aerith quickly left the room before Leon could get the chance to see her reddening face.

The sound of the door across the hall being closed roused Yuffie from her slumber. For a few moments she was in a state of confusion, not recognizing the room she's in as her own. It takes her a minute or two to recall last night's events, and how she had gotten herself in Cloud's bed. 'At least the storm's gone.' Yuffie thought to herself. She rolled onto her side and found herself starring at Cloud's back.

Seeing him faced away from her made her feel a bit disappointed. For some strange reason, last night before going to sleep she had thought she'd wake up in his arms. 'Okay... this is getting complicated and weird.' She told herself, 'I'm suppose to be trying to get Leon and I'm here hoping to be in Cloud's arms.' Yuffie scowled at her thoughts, 'Damn teenage hormones, never make it easy on me.'

Yuffie turned back around to stare out into the dark room. Her gaze settled on Cloud's crimson cape sitting on top of the dresser. For a long while, all Yuffie did was stare at the cape in thought, 'He really needs to figure out something else to wear. That thing just makes everyone stare at him.' Slowly, a grin spread across Yuffie's lips as an idea struck her. With her eyes shining with mischief, Yuffie glanced back at Cloud to make sure he's still asleep. Convinced that the coast is clear, Yuffie got out of bed and made her move. 'Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!'

At the sound of Yuffie's departure, Cloud opened his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Yuffie had indeed left the room. Letting out a breath, Cloud turned back to the wall and closed his eyes, not yet ready to start the day. For some reason he felt that it would be a long day.

"What are you laughing about Yuffie?" Aerith finally questioned her younger friend's seemingly endless giggles. Having already gotten Leon his breakfast, Aerith is now busy making breakfast for the rest of the household, knowing that Cloud will be up soon, and if he isn't, she'll wake him up.

Yuffie bit her bottom lip in an attempt to hold back the grin that didn't seem to want to fade. She couldn't help but find the situation hilarious. She can only imagine what Cloud's reaction will be when he wakes up and finds that his precious cape has mysteriously disappeared.

"Nothing!" Yuffie chimed.

Aerith raised an eyebrow at her, knowing better to believe Yuffie. "I hope you didn't do anything TOO bad Yuffie. I'd rather not have the day start out with you starting an argument."

Yuffie rolled her eyes at the idea, 'As if Cloud would argue with anybody.' "Don't worry Aerith! I didn't do anything! I promise."

Aerith opened her mouth about to reply but stopped when she saw Cloud walk pass the kitchen, and then again in the opposite direction. Yuffie noticed too which ended up causing her to break out in a grin. Again they saw walk pass the kitchen and into the living room. Yuffie crossed her arms behind her head, put her feet on the table and leaned her chair back onto two feet, feeling a strange sense of fulfillment over what she had done.

Aerith's curiosity got the best of her, so when Cloud walks pass the kitchen once more she quickly stops him, "Cloud?" She called out to get his attention. The blonde swordsman walked into the kitchen, "What are you doing?" Aerith questioned.

Cloud glances around the kitchen, his gaze landing on the ninja sitting at the table, amusement written clearly across her face, "...I'm searching for my cape." He answered as he returned his gaze back to Aerith.

"Oh.." Aerith tilts her head to the side in question, "Where did you see it last?"

"My room..." Cloud shot a look over to Yuffie as he heard her give a snort of laughter, "Where is it?"

Yuffie stops her laughter and feigns innocence, "Why ask me? I wouldn't know."

Cloud crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, something that made chills run down Yuffie's spine, "You slept with me last night, you were the only one in my room besides me."

Aerith's brows shot up at the comment. Yuffie's face flared up in embarrassment upon noticing her friend's expression. Yuffie hid her face in her hands in an attempt to hide it, "GAWD Cloud! Do ya have to say it like that? You make it sound something happened last night."

"Something did happen last night." Cloud stated a matter-of-factly. Yuffie dropped her hands from her face and let her mouth hang open in shock, an expression that Aerith was close to mimicking, "You took my cape." Cloud finished.

Aerith stifled a giggle finally catching onto what exactly is going on. "No I didn't!" Yuffie snapped offended, "I took it this morn-...Umph!" Yuffie covered her own mouth with her hands to stop herself from speaking.

The corners of Cloud's lips twitched the slightest as he was tempted to smirk at Yuffie's slip, "Where is it?" He asked again, keeping his tone neutral.

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him, "Ha! Like I'll tell ya! You hide behind that thing too much. If you want it back, find it."

Cloud's eyes narrow in annoyance. He turns around and makes like he's about to leave, "I will find it." He stated before leaving the kitchen.

Aerith shook her head at the young ninja, "That's not very nice Yuffie."

"Puuulease Aerith. I'm doing him a favor!" Yuffie looked around in confusion as a bell rang throughout the house, "What the heck was that?" Yuffie asked in confusion.

"I believe that was the doorbell." Aerith answered.

"That means we have a visitor!" Yuffie stated before hopping off her seat, "I'll get it!" Yuffie called out before racing towards the door to beat anyone who might be trying to get there before her. Her eyes widen as she sees Cloud just a few feet away from the door and getting closer. "No! Mine!" Yuffie shoves the blonde out of the way, almost causing him to crash into the lamp standing a few feet away.

With her hand on the handle, Yuffie faces Cloud once more and stick her tongue out at him, "I win! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!" Yuffie opened the door with a quick turn of the knob and stared at the stranger on the other side.

A man standing around Cloud's height, taking off the extra few inches from Cloud's blonde spikes, his eyes were the strangest color Yuffie has ever seen. They looked like a mixture of a deep violet and a crimson color. He's decked out in black leather pants, and a long sleeve black shirt with white lining. His short brown hair ended in spikes, but they were nowhere near Cloud's. His pearly white teeth are easy to see from the man's smile, which Yuffie had to hold herself back since it seemed more forced than anything. But all in all, he couldn't have been any older than Leon.

"Alright. Who the hell are you and what do you want?" Yuffie demanded, not liking the man in front of her already. Something felt off about him.

"You have an amazing way with greeting people." She heard Cloud say as he stepped up to the door to see who has dropped by for a visit.

"Oh my GAWD! He cracked a joke! Cloud made a joke! Oh Aerith is going to be so jealous that she missed it!" Yuffie teased, completely forgetting about their visitor for the moment because of the shock from the man duped 'emotionless and humorless' had actually cracked a joke.

"Heh..."

Yuffie turned her gaze back to their visitor, "And what are you laughing about? You still haven't answered my question, ya know."

"You two are no doubt the other couple that Mr. Leonheart had mentioned." The man in front of them replied.

Both sets of eyes blinked in confusion as the same thought ran through their heads, 'Couple?' Yuffie glanced at Cloud and immediately broke out into laughter, 'He's got to be kidding! Me? With Cloud?' She had completely forgotten that she had been trying to get hooked up with Cloud to begin with just to make Leon jealous. 'And Squall is the one who told this guy? He's got a sick sense of humor.'

Evidently, Yuffie's reaction was not what the man was expecting. "I say something funny?" He asked, a little on the annoyed side.

Cloud is about to correct the misunderstanding by informing him that he isn't with Yuffie. Before he gets a word out however, Yuffie slaps a hand over his mouth to stop him, "No not at all!" Yuffie answers quickly, 'Leon obviously has reasons for telling him that Cloud and I are... "Anyways!" Yuffie quickly changes the conversation, "You still haven't answered my question."

"Ah... Sorry... I'm Yuri Hyuaga. I'm the one who sold this place to Mr. Leonheart." Yuri answered.

"Oh! Uh... What're you doing here?" Yuffie asked. She felt Cloud pull her hand away from her mouth, having forgotten about it.

"Thought I'd come out and see how everything is doing and meet the other couple."

'Other?' Yuffie thought immediately.

"Yuffie! Who's at the door?" Aerith called out while she walked out of the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when she saw the familiar face of the nice realtor who sold them the house, "Oh, Mr. Hyuaga! How nice to see you. Come in, come in."

Yuri groaned as he walked into the house, "Please... Call me Yuri... Mr. Hyuaga makes me sound so... so..."

"Geezerly?" Yuffie decided to try to be helpful.

"Gee thanks kid." Yuri said sarcastically. He looked around the house, "So... Where's Mr. Leonheart?" He asked upon seeing the mentioned man not around.

Aerith frowned a bit, "I'm afraid he's bedridden right now. He's... recovering from a fight and he can't move around too much."

"You make it sound like I'm dying." The Aerith and Yuffie gave a startled jump upon hearing Leon's voice from the hallway. Turning around they see him standing, supporting himself on the wall as he starred into the living room where everyone is gathered.

"Ah... Mr. Leonheart, you're looking uh... good." Yuri strained to say, "You look like you've been run over."

Leon rolled his eyes, "I've been in worse shape before."

Yuri nodded his head, "I'm sure you have."

"..."

"Oh!" Aerith cut into the silence, "Where are our manners? Please, have a seat." Aerith offers.

Yuri wanders over to the coach and takes a seat at the end. "I'll bring out some coffee." Aerith announces before heading off to the kitchen.

"Uh... I guess I'll go help her." Yuffie said before following the older woman.

Leon slowly made his way over to the coach and took a seat at the other end, while Cloud took the lazy boy chair facing the side of the coffee table in front of the coach. "Is there something you needed to talk to us about?" Leon asked, getting straight to business.

"Only a few things I had forgotten to mention earlier." Yuri admits, before he can continue Aerith and Yuffie arrive.

"Coffee anyone?" Aerith asks holding a fresh pot of coffee that she started before Yuri had arrived. Yuffie puts down a small tray that's holding the coffee mugs onto the table. After filing the mugs up with the steaming hot liquid, Aerith settles in the empty seat between Leon and Yuri, leaving Yuffie with nowhere to sit.

'Hmm...' Yuffie looks around. She considers sitting on the floor, that is until an idea crosses her mind. Smirking to herself, Yuffie wanders over to where Cloud is sitting and before he can ask what she's doing, she jumps into his lap, emitting a dull 'Umph!' from the blonde.

Leon and Aerith both turn to the two and give Yuffie a strange look. Noticing their stares along with Cloud's confused an uncomfortable look, Yuffie quickly explains, "What? Can't I sit in with my boyfriend?" Leon and Aerith quickly catch onto her meaning, glad that someone had remembered the 'arrangements', though Cloud would feel much better without her arms wrapped around his neck.

Yuri raises a brow at Cloud and Yuffie, finding something strange about the two. He decides not to question it. "Um.. Yeah..." He said, not to sure how to restart the conversation, "I thought I'd let you know that if you four ever need anything, repairs or replacements for anything in here, you can call my boss and he'll have someone down here within a day or so to fix whatever that happened to break. Knowing the old coot though, he'll probably just send me."

"Are you saying that we should expect things to fail?" Leon asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

Yuri shook his head, "Nah... This is just standard procedure, or something. The old man just likes things to be clear, just in case."

"I see." Leon replied quietly.

Yuffie stared at Yuri from her spot on Cloud's lap, her eyes more focused on his gloved hands than anything else. Squinting her eyes, Yuffie could just make out irregular shapes on his knuckles as if he's wearing something underneath the gloves. It only took her a few more moments to figure out what exactly they are. "You don't strike me as a realtor." Yuffie cut into the conversation they were having.

Yuri just shrugged his shoulders, "Expecting an old geezer?" He chuckled a bit at his own joke.

"No..." Yuffie dragged on, "You look more like a street fighter."

The group gave her a strange look and Yuri raised his eyebrows in amusement, "And why do you think that?"

Yuffie smirked at her own intelligence, "Well... For one, you're not scrawny, your built like someone who fights. Two, you're not wearing a suite, you're wearing something that looks like it doesn't restrain your movements much. And three..." Yuffie raised her brows at him, "The brass knuckles you're wearing under your gloves are a dead giveaway."

'So she noticed that too.' Cloud thought to himself, mildly impressed by the young ninja's observation.

"Heh.." Yuri gives a short laugh and pulls a glove off to show that he is, in fact, wearing brass knuckles, "That's pretty good kid."

"Stop calling me a kid. I have a name, it's Yuffie!" She snapped growing annoyed by him calling her a kid.

"Well Yuffie. I guess you're somewhat right. I can fight. But I'm not a street fighter. I've learned that it's best to be prepared rather than be caught off guard in an alley in the middle of the night somewhere with no weapon." Yuri smirked to himself.

Leon brows furrowed in thought at what he had just heard. 'Just a coincidence' He told himself, but he couldn't help shake the feeling that it wasn't.

Yuri stood up from his seat, "Well, I hate to cut the visit short but I have business to attend to. I'll drop by time to time to check up on things."

"You're always welcome to visit." Aerith assured him.

Yuri nods his head before turning to Leon, "Hope you recover soon Mr. Leonheart." He turns to Yuffie and Cloud, "See ya later Yuffie and..." He stops as he realizes that he had yet to get the name of the blonde.

Yuffie makes a move to get up but finds herself being held down by something. Looking down, she finds that Cloud had sometime in the course of the little meeting, had wrapped his arms around her waist. She felt her cheeks flare up.

"...Cloud Strife." Cloud answered Yuri's unspoken question.

"Yes... I see..." Yuri muttered between clench teeth. "Well... goodbye." He quickly made his way out of their home.

Once outside and far from eavesdroppers, he takes out his cell phone, "Roger... You were right. No... I'm sure they're not... I know... Cut me some slack here. How am I suppose to know he was just trying to get the place cheaper?" Yuri rolled his eyes as he begins hearing Roger lecture him over the phone. Rather than stand there and listen to him all day, Yuri hangs the phone up, "Don't worry old man. I didn't cost you any money." Yuri eyes lit up in excitement as he walks away.

"Ah-hem!" Yuffie clears her throat, trying to get Cloud's attention, "I know how much enjoy having me in your lap." Yuffie began, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "...but do you mind letting go of me Cloud?"

Cloud stood up from his seat, letting go of Yuffie at the same time which only ended up causing her to fall to the floor. Before Yuffie could bite his head off about dropping her so rudely on the floor, he disappeared down the hallway and into his room. The sound of a faint 'click' signaled to everyone that he had locked the door.

Yuffie leapt to her feet and scowled, "Talk about rude." After taking a moment to debate whether she should march over to Cloud's door and pound on it to demand an apology, she turned to Leon who is still sitting on the coach, "So Squall, you got your butt whipped pretty good last night." She wasn't going to let the opportunity to poke fun at Leon pass her by. "You must be getting old."

Leon icy gaze narrowed into a glare directed at the ninja, "I wasn't prepared, it won't happen again."

Yuffie waved him off, "Suuure. Excuses, excuses. You'll be moving around like a geezer for awhile by the looks of it."

"I'll be fine in a day, two at the most." He sounded so sure of himself that Yuffie almost believed him. Almost, being the 'keyword'.

Cloud examined the mess he made of the room. He had literally torn the place apart while searching for his cape. Now, not only will he have to clean it up, but he still doesn't have the cape. He considered the idea that the cape is somewhere in Yuffie's room, but he wasn't about to go searching through things that aren't his.

Walking over to his bed, Cloud sat down and thought about last night. Something out there had given Leon a good beating. He doubts that the Traverse Demon is going to remain quiet for long. 'Others will be attacked unless something is done about it.' Cloud made up his mind. Grabbing his Buster Sword from its place near the nightstand, he sheathed it on his back and walked over to his door.

Cloud takes a moment to listen for the others in the house. He pinpointed them in the kitchen, which was good because he'll be able to walk pass them easier without them noticing him.

"This is good Aerith!" Yuffie exclaimed with her mouth half way filled with pancakes and syrup dripping from the side of her mouth. Leon rolled his eyes behind the newspaper he's reading, having already eaten his breakfast from when Aerith gave it to him earlier that morning.

"You have a little something right.. there." Aerith pointed to the side of her mouth to show where she was talking about. Yuffie whipped her mouth with the back of her hand causing Aerith to frown a bit, "Yuffie... they make napkins for a reason."

"Yeah I know. To clean the utensils with, right?" Aerith isn't sure whether Yuffie is being serious or not. Going by just face value, Yuffie doesn't look like she's joking. Yuffie let out a satisfied breath once she finished off her last pancake. She pat her stomach for good measure, "Mmm... Now I'm ready for the day."

"Like you ever do anything." Leon muttered from behind the newspaper.

Yuffie didn't seem to hear his comment, if she did, she didn't say anything. Without explanation, Yuffie stood up from her seat and walked towards the doorway. She glanced around the corner to look into the kitchen. She's just in time to see the front door close, 'So that was Cloud I saw. Wonder where he's going.' Yuffie turned back to the two at the table, "Well see you guys later, I think I'll go drop Cid a visit."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled." Leon commented.

Yuffie didn't waste her time to make a comeback, she had to hurry if she wanted to catch up with Cloud before he disappeared. After quickly slipping her sneakers on, she ran to the door and made her way out.

Well everyone, guess this is a good enough place as any to stop. I'm already at nine pages 0P Don't want to make it too long. Sorry for the long wait. My phone was disconnected so I didn't have the internet either. Stupid dialup Well anyways! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. School's finally over, so updates might come quicker. Might being the 'keyword' We all know how evil life can be.


	14. The Past Always Comes Back

Well first of all. I apologize for the wait... AOL seemed to blow up so we no longer had it, and had to go with a different means of internet connection. But the plus side is that the wait let allowed me to take a break from writing. Heh... And I also got to finish up one of my older fics (Thank God). But I'm yet to have internet. I have to wait for DSL to be activated scheduled for the 25th, which isn't saying much since it was first the 15th than got changed. Well, I know you aren't here to listen to me rant, you've come here to read. So without further ado, I give this next chapter to you.

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

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The Past Always Comes Back

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Aerith Gainsborough!

'Life should be spent in happiness

Who could live a life of loneliness

There are so many worlds out there

So many people out there who's life you share

A simple smile can improve anyone's bad day

So come on, what do you say?

Won't you smile at the next person you pass by

Just smile, go on, give it a try.'

'Let's see what Cloud is up to.' Yuffie thought as she stealthily followed Cloud through Traverse. It was amusing for Yuffie to see several people stray away from Cloud, without his cape, he had no means to cover his gigantic sword sheathed at his back. The sword alone is enough to make anyone weary of his presence.

Yuffie can't guess where Cloud is going, seeing how he doesn't seem to have a general location he's searching for. It's strange seeing him walk through town, as if he were any other person. If it weren't for the strange glances he keeps receiving from everyone he passes, Yuffie would think he fit right in.

Cloud quickly turned into an alley, causing Yuffie to almost lose track of him. With a quick sprint into the alley however, Yuffie managed to catch up with him with ease. Now without the crowd of people walking through the streets of Traverse, Yuffie took extra caution with her steps, not wanting them to inform Cloud of her presence.

Peeking around the corner of the alley, the ninja's eyes settle on Cloud's form, sitting down in the middle of the small alleyway. With his sword set at his side, and his legs crossed Indian-style, he looked strangely calm with his eyes closed. 'What is he doing?' Yuffie thought, not moving from her spot, 'Meditating maybe? Or maybe he's waiting for something..'

Whatever Cloud is doing, Yuffie wasn't going to move until she figures it out. As quietly as possible, Yuffie sat on the ground, her back leaning again the side of a building. She stretched her legs out so they won't cramp up if she get stuck sitting there for longer than she wants. She kept her head turned to keep sight of Cloud at all times. After a few minutes pass, Yuffie lets out a tired breath, 'I'm bored...'

-----

Leon's brows furrowed in concentration as he made another slash with his gunblade. Sweat rolled down his face as he ignored the pain coming from his injuries that he had gotten from the attack. He continued to train, hell bent on getting stronger for the next battle he'll eventually get in.

From the corner of his eye, he can see Aerith still watching him, a look of annoyance spread across her face. Evidently, she's still upset that he, despite her wishes, went out to train even though he's still recovering. "I'm fine, don't worry about it." Leon mentioned before taking another swing at his imaginary opponent.

Aerith placed her hands on her hips, the annoyance not dying from her face, "Leon, I really wish you wouldn't be so careless. Training in your condition is serious. You could reopen your wounds, and then we'd be right back where we started."

"My condition." Leon starts, resting his gunblade on his shoulder and turning towards Aerith, "...is perfectly fine. I'm fit to train. I've been slacking off enough, that fight proved that." With that said, he turns his back to her and begins his exercises once again, 'She can nag all she wants. I need to train.'

"Leon, let's be reasonable here." Aerith starts again, trying to persuade the gunblade specialist out of his training, "Starting training while your body is in the process of healing isn't going to do you any good..'

'Whatever..'

"It'll only exhaust you and slow the process down. And you could end up hurting yourself more."

'I'm fine.'

"A day or two of rest won't do much difference. You'll be able to train much better when you're at full strength and well rested. It'll give you much better results than training while injured. Especially since you could make your injuries worse, or cause permanent damage."

"... Alright, fine." Aerith let out a breath of relief and smiled, "One more hour and I'll go back."

The smile dropped as quickly as it appeared. Aerith crossed her arms over her chest and did her best to glare at the man. Its purpose was entirely lost considering the fact that she's glaring at his back, and he pointedly ignores her.

------

Cloud snapped his eyes open and scanned the area with his eyes while keeping as still as possible. He kept his breathing steady as he listened for the slightest sound. How much time has passed since he first sat down, the swordsman couldn't tell. He could tell that it has been long enough that many people have returned back to their own homes as there was little sound coming from the streets of Traverse.

Cloud knows he isn't alone, he can feel another's presence near him, watching him, as if trying to decide the best course of action. The swordsman can't pinpoint the exact location of the presence. 'I know you're out there, somewhere.' Cloud thought to himself as he continued to scan the area with his eyes.

The sound of scrapping echoes in his ears, like knives being dragged across rock. The scraping seized as soon as it appeared, and everything became quiet, and still. Cloud lowered his right hand to the hilt of his sword laying at his side and slowly lifted his head up towards the roofs of the buildings around him.

There, standing on the edge of the roof, Cloud found what he had been waiting for, and it was starring right back at him. The crimson orbs glowed through the darkness, capturing his own eyes in a gaze that felt as if it were searching the very edges of his soul. The demon's wings spread fully out before it leapt off the roof, only to glide slowly down into the alley, landing several feet in front of Cloud.

Recognition flashed through Cloud's eyes, this is not the first time he had seen this demon. "So, you've become just like the Heartless." Cloud spoke as he pushed himself to his feet, "I bet there isn't any humanity left in you, having lost your soul to the darkness."

Yuffie gave a short snort before rousing from her slumber. 'Am I hearing voices?' Yuffie thought as she stifled a yawn. Rubbing her eye with a fist, she glanced tiredly around the corner and almost choked on her tongue when she saw Cloud standing in front of what appeared to be a demon. Her initial thought was to get up and run for help, her second was to jump out and stand by Cloud's side incase a fight broke out. Yuffie however, chose not to do either, she chose to relocate behind some barrels to get a closer view so she can watch the scene unfold. 'Is this the thing that attacked Leon?'

Cloud lowered his head a bit, looking slightly dejected, "Perhaps you are in there somewhere. Why else would you come here. Are you asking to be put out of your misery? Are you seeking freedom from the darkness?"

'What the heck is he blabbering about?' Yuffie thought in annoyance. One moment she thought she understood Cloud just by a little, now he has to go and ruin everything by speaking with demons. She seriously doubt he could become any weirder. She had the urge to scream, 'Attack'em already!' but she kept quiet so she wouldn't reveal herself.

The demon claws seemed to grow at its side as it crouched down, its wings folding themselves behind its back. Cloud took the hint and braced himself, crouching down in a defensive position with his sword held firmly out in front. The demon was the first to strike, lunging forward with enough force to throw Cloud back into a the side of a brick building. Cloud stood back on his feet and merely shrugged it off before striking out with his own attack. The demon however, proved to be quite intelligent, it threw itself in the air and flew just out of Cloud's reach. Or so it thought.

Cloud lowered his gaze from the demon, to the building in front of him. His brows furrowed in thought. The blonde charged forth with as much speed as he could force himself to go. With only about five feet left between himself and the wall, Cloud jumped up to the wall feet first, he immediately pounced off the wall, his legs acting almost like springs, making him jump higher up in the air. Flipping in the air, Cloud connected both of his feet with the demon's head, knocking it out of the sky.

Yuffie watched dumbstruck, with her mouth hung open and her eyes wide as saucers. 'That was... awesome!' Was her immediate thought, she has the sudden urge to start cheering Cloud on, however, she knew if she does, her cover will be blown.

Cloud skid on the ground as he landed, his boots kicking up dirt before he stopped. "Is that the best you can do?" The demon shook its head, ridding itself from its daze before pushing itself to his feet. It extended its claws and bared its fangs, letting out a somewhat of a hissing sound before leaping towards him. "Farewell.." Cloud muttered before hurling his sword at the demon.

The Buster Sword caught the demon in the chest, and threw it back against the brick wall where the sword managed to plunge itself into the wall, holding the demon in place as it screamed in pain. The demon's claws gripped the hilt of the sword as it attempted to pull the blade out, but the sword proved to be wedge in the wall deeply. Cloud walked towards it calmly, his eyes emotionless as he stares at the demon, "You're still alive... I guess I'll have to chop off your head."

Yuffie continued to watch with her eyes wide, but this time her eyes are wide in fear. She couldn't believe how brutal Cloud can be in battle. He tricked the demon into leaping towards him, so it wouldn't have a hope in the world of dodging Cloud's sword. 'And now he's going to chop of its head?' Yuffie felt her body shiver as a sudden chill ran down her spine.

Cloud placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, just when he's about to pull the sword free to deliver the finishing blow, the demon disappears right before his eyes, turning into a cloud of black smoke, much like the Heartless did when killed. Cloud just shook his head, a scowl crossing his lips as he yanked the sword free. He however, did not sheath his sword, "I know you're out there. There's no use hiding."

Yuffie's breath caught in her throat, 'Crap!' Yuffie covered her eyes with her hands, helplessly praying Cloud was speaking to someone else, and not her.

To Yuffie's great disbelief, she hears another voice, answering her prayers. "Well kid, I got to hand it to ya, you still can pack the punch, if I might say." Cloud spun on his heels and turned towards the familiar voice. The God of The Underworld, stepped out of the shadows and sleeked his way towards Cloud, "Sorry about the whole 'Demon thing', but I had to make sure you could still fight."

"What are you doing here Hades? And how did you get here?" Cloud asked, his voice full of anger, as well as his eyes, "Aren't you suppose to be locked up at the Coliseum?"

Hades laughed and waved him off, "Funny thing about that. That careless Phil always seems to lay the keys within reaching distance. As for how I got here, are you forgetting who I am, I'm the Ruler of The Underworld, I can get anywhere... Plus I had a few space miles saved up so I thought I'd come drop you a visit."

Yuffie peeked out from behind the barrel to watch the two converse, 'Why is he here? How does he knew Cloud?'

"Annnyway!" Hades continued on, "To make a long story short, I've come to tell you that a tournament has been scheduled for the Coliseum, and it will beginning in three days." Hades stuck three fiery fingers in front of Cloud's face to emphasize his point.

Cloud turned his head to the side, not really paying much attention to Hades, "And I care because?"

With a flick of his wrist, Hades produced a scroll, "Our contract, remember kid? You're to kill Hercule for me. And in return, I bring you to the person you're looking for."

'Contract? Kill Hercule? Who's Cloud searching for?' Yuffie found it hard to process all the new questions concerning Cloud. 'How has Cloud become involved with the likes of Hades? It doesn't make sense.'

"Why would he return to those grounds?" Cloud brushed Hades off and began walking away, "I'm not interested in an expired contract, or a liar such as yourself. Find someone else to do your dirty work."

Hades appeared in front of him again, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hold up there kid. The contract never expired. That thing with Cerberus was an accident. I thought I explained that to you already. As for your end of the bargain. What if I told you that he's closer than you think?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "I'm not going to fall for your lies again."

"Perhaps if I showed you some proof." Hades draped his left arm over Cloud's shoulders and placed his right hand in front of Cloud's eyes. With a snap of his fingers, Hades suddenly holds a large black feather, "Does this prove my case?" Hades asks slyly, knowing that he has Cloud's attention now. Cloud reached for the feather but before he could get his hand on it, Hades replaced it with a ticket, "You'll need this pass to get in the tournament." He held it there and waited for Cloud to take it. After a moment's thought, Cloud took it, "Remember in three days." With that said, Hades disappeared, leaving Cloud standing there.

Cloud pocketed his ticket and let out a breath before running his hand through his hair. 'He better not be tricking me again. Or this time I'll do worse then through him behind bars.' Cloud thought to himself before heading out of the alleyway.

Yuffie remained in her spot for a few more moments, to make sure Cloud wouldn't be anywhere near by when she finally comes out. Feeling that the coast is now clear, Yuffie steps out from her hiding place and begins walking out. She takes five steps before her path is blocked by Hades who suddenly appears out of nowhere again, "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Hades waved a finger out in front of her as she backed away, "Unlike that fool. I know when I'm being watched little girl."

Hades runs his hand through his blue fiery hair, "So, you're one of his little friends are you? He is a rather strange one, don't you agree?"

"How do you know Cloud?" Yuffie asks, her voice shaken with fear. It's not everyday she's standing in front of the Ruler of The Underworld.

Hades smirked at the question, "Oh, I know a secret."

Yuffie's brows furrow in thought, "About what?"

"Ah, the real question would be, 'About Who?'"

"Who?" Yuffie replied in confusion.

Hades leaned down until his face was mere inches away from Yuffie's, "Who indeed." Straightening himself up Hades reached into the sleeve of his robe and produced two tickets, "I bet you're dying to know what Mercenary Boy is up to. So here's two tickets to compete in the tournament. One for you, and one for your other friend."

"What's the catch?" Yuffie asked in suspicion.

Hades' brows raise in amusement, "Catch? There's no catch. Free of charge, go on, take them." Yuffie just stared at the tickets blankly, not certain whether or not she should take them. "If you want to find out what he's up to, you'll need to go to the tournament." Hades added. It was enough for Yuffie. Her hands, suddenly having a mind of their own, reached out and snatched the tickets. Before she could say anything to the God of The Underworld, he disappeared.

----

"Squall! Squall!"

Leon let out an aggravated breath, "It's Leon." He said tiredly before sitting up on the catch.

Yuffie ran over to the couch where he had been resting a few seconds before she burst into the house. Her flushed face told him that she had been running for sometime. Yuffie glanced around the living room, as if looking for something, or someone in particular, "Um.. where's Cloud?" Leon gave a shrug. "Look!" Yuffie held out the two tickets to participate in the upcoming tournament, "The Coliseum is holding a tournament in three days, and we're invited!" Yuffie said, her excitement covering up any traces of unease in her voice.

Leon's brows furrow in thought as he grabs hold of the tickets. After examining them to make sure they're authentic, he turns his gaze back to the ninja in front of him, "Where did you get these?" Leon asked questioningly.

"We were invited. Like I said." Yuffie said. 'It's not exactly a lie.'

"By who?"

"I dunno." Yuffie answered immediately, "The tickets came in the mail. I guess the people at the Coliseum were so impressed with my supreme ninja skills that they wanted to see me fight again. I guess they threw you a ticket too since you fought with me."

Leon raises a brow and directs his gaze to the coffee table, or more precise, the few letters that came in the mail that he found when he checked the mail that afternoon. "These were in the mail?"

Yuffie nodded her head quickly, "Yeah, I think there was some other junk in the mail, but I really didn't care for it so I left whatever was left in the mailbox and took the tickets." Yuffie could tell that Leon's suspicion was quickly dissipating. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she had taken something from the mail and left things that didn't concern her.

"Why did you wait until now to tell me?"

"Um..." Yuffie hadn't thought up of a good excuse to that question while she was returning. As a matter of fact, she hadn't even considered that question, "Well, you didn't seem to be in the best of moods... so I didn't feel like bothering you."

It was a sad lie, and Yuffie knew it. One of her favorite past times is to annoy Leon when he's in an especially foul mood. She wasn't sure whether Leon would really buy it, but the gunblade specialist just brushed it off and looked at the tickets, reading the small writing on the ticket, "Looks like they're having a prize for the top two fighters."

"Really?" Yuffie said, suddenly interested in the tournament more then ever, "What's the prize?"

"One-hundred thousand munni, for the first place winner, and second place gets twenty-five thousand." Leon brows raise in interest at the prize munni. That could really help out their financial issues.

Yuffie either had no clue about their financial problems, or just doesn't care, "Oh my GAWD! That's a lot of munni! Just imagine what I'll be able to buy when I win!"

"What's going on?" Aerith asked as she entered into the living room, having heard the commotion from the kitchen. Cloud entered behind her, having heard the racket from his room. Upon seeing him enter the room, Yuffie began feeling on edge, having thought he wasn't home yet. Apparently she was wrong.

"We got tickets to participate in a tournament in the Coliseum that's being held in three days. They came in the mail today." Leon explained before shooting a look towards Yuffie, "She neglected to tell us."

Cloud's brows lowered in thought as he felt something off about the situation. He said nothing however. "But Leon, you cant participate. You're still recovering." Aerith reminded him.

A ghost of a smirk traced Leon's features, "The tournament isn't starting until three days. You said you'd let me train without question after two days of rest."

"Yes, train." Aerith admits, placing her hands on her hips, "But not go full out into a battle."

Leon just waved her off, "This tournament will be good training."

"And the prize munni Aerith!" Yuffie started.

--

From outside the group's home, someone listened to the conversation, finding the tournament suddenly interesting. 'Hmm... One-hundred thousand munni eh..' Taking out his cell phone, he quickly dialed up a number.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, Roger... I have some very interesting news."

"This better be good Yuri."

The man smirked, "How would you like to go on vacation? I know the perfect place to make some big bucks."

Oah! Looks like the Coliseum is going to have one hell of a tournament. And yet, this brings up many questions. Will Cloud find Sephiroth? What exactly is Hades up to? Will Cloud actually kill Hercule? Will Yuffie ever figure out what's going on? Does Cloud suspect anything? Who will win? Who will they fight? Why did Cloud recognize the demon? And what chance does Yuri have in a tournament o.O? All this and more on the next exciting chapter of, Jealousy!... Hey! I'm actually going to be getting some more action into this fic. Swee-eet...


	15. Rules And Regulations

Okay... first things first, reply to some reviews.

ChillyWilly- Leon and Yuffie aren't going to go up against Cloud, well not really. Erm... You'll have to read on to find out.

Vampiegurl- (Blink, Blink) I rule because I added Hades? Do you like Hades that much? lol.

Platonic1- Yes the show is just beginning heehee!

MystiKoorime- I'll never abandon my fics.. they may take me forever to update, but I won't. At least not right now as far as I'm concerned lol.

And I Promise- Gainsborough is Aerith's last name in Final Fantasy 7, I didn't make it up on my own lol. So don't blame me if it's not RPG-ish sounding. Blame Square-Enix. Yes... I noticed I kept calling Hercules 'Hercule' after I posted it. I went and read it and was like 'Crap!' You know what it was? It was because before I wrote this chapter DragonBallZ was on the television and there's a dude on there called Hercule. And I just totally got stupified... Grr... Stupid past-tense and present-tense... I seriously suck with that. I can't tell most of the time. My older sister is acting as my Beta Reader, evidently she sucks at it too lol. Sigh...

KairiLuv- I didn't get bored emailing you... AOL blew up so I didn't have anyway to get to the emails lol. I don't have AOL now. My new email is posted on my profile.

Kamden- Sorry for taking so long, especially for 'Watch Duty Sucks!' That fic is the least of my concerns though

Rayzor- You're wrong, another review did make my day! I'm glad you like the pairing, but uh... nevermind. Forget I said anything, kay?

kmsam- Yeah...(Sweatdrops) I realized that too... BWAHAHAHAA ! Die Hercule...

Lady Evelynn- Awe... It's okay to request because it I don't have ideas or something, I use them . To answer your questions all of them... You'll just have to wait and see. Aren't I nice?

Now we move on with this fic!

Disclaimer-I don't know how anyone would think I'd own this stuff. really. None of the characters in this fic are mine, no matter where they come from. Whether they're from KH, FF7,8,9,10, or any other game, they still aren't owned by moi.

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Rules And Regulations

The planet that the great Coliseum occupies is a fairly small planet. However, the entire planet is a vast desert, and the temperature is in the mid nineties at it's coolest, that's one thing that Yuffie doesn't like about the planet. The other reason is the sun itself. When you're living on a planet where it's constantly dark out, your vision is a bit fuzzy for the first few hours that you're on the planet, and it hurts no matter where you look. The sun's light just seems to reflect off the sand itself, so you can't really just glance down.

In instances like these, Yuffie has always used the same method, stare at Leon's back as he heads over to the Coliseum. True she normally would be doing this just out of shear habit, but now there's an actual reason for it. It doesn't hurt her eyes as much when she's starring at something with a dark surface.

Cid, being the expert Gummi Ship pilot that he is, managed to land the ship a mile away from their destination, so the group was left walking through the desert for the last half-hour. Ever wonder if there was really such of a thing called a mirage? Yuffie did and she swore she saw three moles beings chased through the desert by a little kid carrying a large mallet as he tried whacking them. When Yuffie pointed this out to the group, they not only looked at her weird, but they stopped talking altogether.

The sight of the Coliseum was a welcoming sight for sore eyes, the ancient Romanian structure stood triumphantly above the warriors who come from other worlds to compete. Yuffie couldn't wait to see who the other competitors will be. She isn't even fighting yet and she can feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Yuffie ran up to Cloud and Leon and grabbed both of their arms, "And here's the winning team, right here!" Her voice was filled with confidence as she held their hands up over her head. Both men stopped and glanced down at the ninja wondering if the heat had really gotten to her.

Cloud slipped his hand free, "I fight better alone." He stated before he wandered away from the group, going his own way to do his own thing.

Yuffie's eyes narrowed, then she put a smirk across her lips, crossed her arms behind her head and called out, "Don't go playing with any dark and creepy Gods now. We know how untrustworthy they are. You'd have to be a complete dumbass to work for one." She was nonchalant going about saying it.

Cloud stopped in his tracks, and remained such for a good five seconds before he looked over his shoulder, his brows raised up in amusement. "Yuffie... When I end up fighting the two of you in the final match. I knock Leon out quickly and take you down slowly." With that said he made his way, ignoring the tongue Yuffie was childishly flashing at his back.

Yuffie turned her gaze back to Leon, "Alright Squallie! You're stuck with me this time, and there's nothing you can do about it." Inwardly, Yuffie was cheering, 'Ha ha! Yeah! Me and my partner are going to kick that spiky headed ass!'

Leon rolled his eyes at the ninja, "It's Leon...Let's go talk to Phil."

----

"What?" Yuffie said in shock, wishing she hadn't heard correctly.

"Look... it's like this." Phil said, obviously he had explained it several times already, "To prevent disadvantages in fights, i.e. the size of the teams, we've decided to make this a one on one tournament, mono-e-mono. Got it?"

Leon, who had understood the first time Phil had explained, was smirking to himself, he too wanted to fight alone, but he didn't feel like Yuffie nagging at him if he refused. Now he doesn't have to worry about it. "What's the matter Yuffie? Afraid to fight alone?" Leon asked.

"Ha! Of course not!" Yuffie answered, slowly regaining her confidence back, "As a matter of fact! I already proved that last tournament."

"And I recall you remaining in the bottom ten." Leon figured he'd point that little irritating fact out for Yuffie.

Yuffie's eye twitched at that, "Whatever!" 'That's right... I'm using your own tactic against you Squall. Whatever! Ha! I should use it more often.'

"We're still handing out tickets for those who wish to compete." Phil said holding out tickets, "Strangely enough, there aren't the many competitors at the moment so the tickets are free.

Leon gave a look of confusion, "We got ours in the mail... Or so I've been told."

"What the hell, give me a ticket too." Both Leon and Yuffie turned around to see none other than Cid walking over with a large smirk on his face.

Yuffie, who had been nervous a few seconds ago over Leon questioning the appearance of the tickets she got, keeled over in laughter, "You old geezer! Don't make me laugh! You don't even have a weapon!"

"Shaddap brat!" Cid reached behind him and pulled out, what appeared to Yuffie as a harmless metal rod about a foot long. That is until she noticed a certain little red button on said rod and presto! You have yourself a long, and potentially dangerous looking spear. Cid held the spear over Yuffie's head, the ninja just stood there and stared at it.

"OW! What was that for?" Yuffie yelled holding her head where Cid had hit her.

Cid's smirk reappeared, "Reinforced gummi material for an extra punch I need to smack brats around like you." Yuffie grumbled profanities under her breath while Cid snagged a ticket from Phil. "I'll see you two in the tournament later." He said as he was leaving.

"Guest rooms are on the other side, if you came with a group, try conserve the space and room together. If you have your own place registered here, then go there, either way, I'm busy so git."

"I didn't even know we could get our own place saved here." Yuffie commented as they walked out of registration to go meet with Aerith outside.

Leon shook his head, "It's a waste of munny, we don't spend a whole lot of time here. It's for fighters who end up living here and compete at every tournament."

Yuffie followed Leon and Aerith through the halls of the Coliseum, every now and then, she'd pass by someone who to her, appears to be a fighter. At one point, she could have sworn she saw a man dressed in a long skirt with his left arm replaced with some sort of metal claw. To Yuffie, the man looked a bit like a psychopath, she hoped she didn't have to go up against anytime soon.

Besides the strange looking claw armed man, she had seen another woman who looked a bit like a street fighter. She was decked out in a white tank top and brown shorts, with brass knuckles on her hands. She saw a man decked out all in a crimson outfit, sunglasses, and a massive sword that was almost as big as Cloud's. She found him a bit creepy as well.

Those three fighters were the only ones Yuffie saw on her way down to the guest rooming area. She knew that her and Leon would be sharing a room, they always did, it was so that none of the other competitors would try and 'get them' while they are asleep. This only made her wonder if Cloud would be sharing the same room as them. Yuffie could only imagine her dilemma with that, her, with the two of them within reaching distance for her to just snatch, then perhaps after the tournament when they're all hot and sweaty they could. 'AHH! Yuffie! What are you thinking here? STOP! No more mental images! No more thinking! Just stop thinking already, you'll only end up hurting yourself! Bad brain! Bad Yuffie.'

--

Cloud wandered to his room, on the end for the regulars. After spending his first year at the Coliseum, he had bought his own room, figuring it would give him more privacy, and it was much more comfortable than the cots that the guests have to sleep in. He has his own bed, his own dresser, and... he has his own maid to clean the place up after him, since he can't be bothered with such things. He had glanced at the fighter listings before heading towards his place. He hadn't seen 'Sephiroth' on the list. But there were still empty places, there were only six names written down when he looked. 'Hercules' being written on the top of the list.

He wandered into his room and headed towards his crimson sheeted bed. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the ground in thought. He would be fighting Hercules this time, there's no doubt about that. He may even run into Sephiroth, which was a good and bad all in it's own. Good, because he'll finally be able to finish the fight with him, bad because the others might get thrown into the mix. He can only hope that he finds him when he's alone, rather than when he's with someone.

Cloud thought about the other fighters on the list that he had read. They were all new names to him, he's never seen or heard of them before. Hercules would probably be the most difficult for Cloud to 'take care of' since he's basically a god. He saw the name 'Auron' written on the list, it said he was a swordsman. Cloud isn't worried, after all, there's few other swordsman out there who have the experience to come close to matching his own.

He saw the name, 'Albel Nox' written on the listing. It was said that he's a captain in some army on some sort of planet. He fights with a sword called the 'Crimson Scourge' and his claw-arm. The mention of his claw-arm made Cloud think about a certain gunslinger he had finished off back in Traverse Town, the Traverse 'Demon' that Hades sent out to test his skills to make sure he's up to snuff.

There was a woman written on the listings, apparently she's a martial artist of sorts, Cloud wasn't worried. Fists against a sword isn't necessarily a hard battle. Tifa Lockheart, another unknown fighter trying to make herself known in the Coliseum. Cloud just hopes he doesn't have to waste his time fighting her. The name on the list that surprised him the most however, was none other than the God of the Underworld himself, 'Hades'. 'He probably thinks I can't get the job done. Pst... I'll take care of Hercules and if I'm lucky, I'll fight Hades next. That pushover can't do his own dirty work, he doesn't deserve the title of God.'

Half of the positions have been taking up, Counting himself, Yuffie, Leon, and Cid, that counts up for nine fighters. Which left three openings, for three other fighters. Who they will be, only time can tell, and the first of the battles will begin tomorrow afternoon. The fighters will be randomly paired off to fight one another. 'I'll turn in for the night. I'll need to be rested if I'm going to kill two gods tomorrow.'

Sorry, but that's the ending of this chapter. It's the shortest I've written, I know. But the next chapter will be LOOOOOONG! Because a lot of stuff is going to be happening.. Oh... I don't own any of the fighters either. Albel Nox is from Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time. Auron: Final Fantasy 10 which I'm sure you all know. Tifa Lockheart: Final Fantast 7. Leave a review y'all.


	16. A Gunblader, Mystery Fighter & 1 psycho

__

A Gunblader, Mystery Fighter, & One Psychopath

Yuffie's eyes snapped open to the beginnings of a new day. A grin immediately spread across her lips despite the fact that her body felt stiff from having to sleep on a bed that was carved out of the wall. She hopped to her feet and raced over to her companion, "Squallie! Wakey! Wakey! Time to get up! The tournament is beginning today!"

Leon, for the most part, ignored her. He opened one eye to let her know he's awake before he turned around to give her his back, "It's too early, Yuffie. The tournament doesn't start up for four hours." After a few moments, Leon gave out a tired, "An' it's Leon."

Yuffie feigned shock, her mouth hanging wide open in exaggeration, "Too early for Squall?" She said her voice filled with surprise, "Too early for the guy who gets up at the butt crack of dawn every day for the past nine years just to train." Yuffie expression filled with worry before reaching over to place a hand on his forehead, "You're not getting sick are you? I wouldn't want to have to beat you around when you're sick, there's no sport in that."

Leon swatted her hand away from his face, "I'd have no problem getting up if it wasn't for the fact that your snoring kept me up throughout the night."

Yuffie placed her fists on her hips as a scowl crossed her face, "I do NOT snore Leon! If anyone snores around here, it's YOU!" She emphasized her point by jabbing him in the ribs. Watching him literally jump at the opposing finger definitely raised an eyebrow from Yuffie. A sly smile spread across her lips, and her eyes had the look of a tiger gazing on it's prey, "I don't believe it... Squall is actually ticklish? And here I thought it wasn't possible."

"Not hardly." Leon said flatly, "I just wasn't expecting you to jam your finger into me." As an after thought he added, "And it's Leon."

"Sure Leon, sure." Yuffie pretended to agree, "Now get your ass out of bed, we need to eat breakfast. I wonder if they make waffles here. Oh! With chocolate chips! And powder sugar!" ((My first an only A/N interruption... Yes Ann, this is for you. And I bet you're squealing like the little fan girl that you are.))

'Like you need sugar.' Leon thought and after much displeasure on Leon's account, he slid off the hard bed, his leather pants scratching on the rock. The room was more like a cave, cold and damp. He's not hungry, but he knew Yuffie wouldn't let him be if he didn't go with her. "Alright... Let's go get Aerith and we'll go find breakfast." Leon said, his voice laced with drowsiness.

"What about Cloud? And speaking of which, where did Ol' Spikes go?" Yuffie shifted on foot to foot, rocking her head from side to side as she thought of the most logical reason for his disappearing act. 'As if I could figure that out. I can't even figure out why he disappeared nine years ago.'

"I'm too tired to really care. Cloud can take care of himself." Leon was a bit more cold than he meant, but than again, he is beginning to get a bit tired of Yuffie always bringing up Cloud in everything they say or do. 'I am NOT jealous... There's nothing to be jealous about to begin with. Yuffie is just interested... okay, not the right word. She just wants to get to know him since he's been gone for so long.'

Yuffie suddenly felt very uncomfortable around Leon, something felt off about him. He'd never looked or sounded so cold. 'He's just cranky because I woke him up.' Yuffie rolled her eyes at Leon before heading towards the old style wooden door.

__

'He sounds upset... maybe he's beginning to get jealous.'

'So what? He's just being a baby about it.'

'Isn't that what you wanted? To get him jealous?'

'Huh? Oh... Uh yeah!'

'Uh-oh...'

'What? There's nothing wrong.'

'You're forgetting about your own scheme. You're suppose to be using Cloud to get to Leon.'

'I hope they have waffles.'

'Yeah... waffles sound go-... You're not listening are you?'

'Whoa! Wait a second! Since when do I have more than one person in my head?'

'That's... I'm not going to ask.'

'Quiet you! I know what you're thinking!'

'You Should... I'm you after all.'

'Oh yeah, heh heh.'

((A/N- This is what happens when you RP for a week or more straight... you begin getting ideas from people. This is for Ann again, since she enjoys making Yuffie talk to herself so much ))

------

Cloud looked up from his bed as he heard a bell ring throughout the Coliseum. All the combatants were being called to the stadium to find out the drawings. Cloud had stayed in his room the entire time, readying himself for the fights ahead, setting his mind to draw his sword on friend and foe alike. Now it was time to get the fights selected. Cloud stood from his bed, and made his way out of his room and into the stone halls of the Coliseum heading towards the Coliseum. Unlike yesterday, the halls were flooding with many people, people coming to watch the fights that were ahead.

It didn't take him long to reach the stadium, all the combatants were standing just outside the ring where Phil stood on a large stone block and pointing at the line up drawn on a board he's holding. He saw Leon, Cid, and Yuffie standing in the crowd together, Cloud kept himself in the back listening to the pairings.

"Alright fighters be silent." Phil called out holding his small hands up, "This here is the world Coliseum. The rules have already been set. Fight until you can fight no more, or until you beat the other guy down. This here is the line up see?" He said pointing to the board, "The first fight will be starting in five minutes. Now listen up... The twelfth combatant never showed up, so I randomly selected one name from the list to sit out the first round and be automatically bumped up to the second round... Yuffie Kazeragy was selected."

Yuffie growled in annoyance, "That's Kisaragi you crazy goat!"

"Yuffie." Leon reprimanded.

"And I don't want to be just bumped up!" Yuffie ignored Leon, she set her fists on her hips, "I want to fight!"

"Well that's too bad. These are my rules, so you'll have to follow them, see?" Phil had said as he jumped from his stand and walked over to the ninja. He pointed a finger at her, "Feel lucky you're making it to the second round pipsqueak."

Yuffie's eye twitched in annoyance, "That's it! I'm gunna shove my Conformer so far up your a- MPH!" Yuffie blinked in a bit confusion as she felt the leather glove clasped to her mouth when she was pulled to a rather warm and strong body. Her surprise quickly died as she struggled against the Gunblader's grasp.

Phil ignored the ninja as he turned back to look at the bored, "The first battle will be fought by..."He shielded his eyes from the sun and squinted his eyes, "Leon and... Seifer. Both of you get to the ring now."

The moment Leon released his hold on Yuffie she turned on him, "Yo---u! I hope you make it to the next round so I can kick your ass!"

Leon rolled his eyes and hefted his gunblade up on his shoulder, "Thanks for the vote of confidence Yuffie." He replied with sarcasm as he made his way towards the ring. A man in a grey-ish trench coat walked several yards in front of him. Leon wondered what the man fought with.

--

As the combatants scattered about to get a better view of the match, Cloud took the opportunity to check out the standings. His eyes quickly scanned the names, not one of them was a name he wanted. He did however find that Cid's first match would be up against a man named 'Godslayer.' If that wasn't an original title, Cloud didn't know what was. He wondered who the man was. He'd find out in the next match. The swordsman turned his gaze to the ring as the gong was struck.

--

Leon held his trusted gunblade out in front of him as he analyzed the man in front of him. He could see the tip of his sword hanging just under his trench coat. The light brunette in front of him seemed over confident, in Leon's opinion, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes stared at him hard, he looked a bit ruthless.

"Afraid to attack me?" The man known as Seifer asked, a smirk across his lips.

Leon's brows furrowed in annoyance, he won't be able to get a good reading on his opponent until he does something. With that thought stuck in his mind, Leon bought his gunblade back and charged forward. He could see Seifer only smirk more the moment before he jumped and twirled around, his gunblade swinging around.

Leon could here the brushing of clothes as his sight on his opponent was momentarily lost. As he finally finished spinning around, he heard a clash of metal as Leon's gunblade connected with Seifer's... 'A gunblade?' Leon immediately thought in surprise. His opponent took advantage of the momentary distraction he launched his foot out, connecting it with Leon's chest.

Seifer's rich laughter filled the ring as he stared down at Leon on the ground, "And here I was hoping you weren't a weakling. It's not everyday I see someone wielding the same weapon as me." He tapped his own gunblade on his shoulder impatiently. Running his free hand through his slicked back hair. He rested the tip of his gunblade down on the ground and beckoned Leon forward with his free hand, taunting him.

Leon picked himself of the ground, he'll admit, he was caught of guard, but that's because he's never seen anyone else who wields a gunblade, so it caught him by surprise. He won't be caught off guard again, personally, he thinks Seifer is a fool for not just finishing him off, he had the perfect opening. He'll make sure Seifer regrets it.

Four small spheres of fire spiraled around Leon as he held his gunblade at his side. The four small fireballs gathered in front of him to create one large fireball, "Fira." Leon called out before his magic shot forward.

Seifer was quick enough to deflect it back at him but Leon was smart enough to jump out of the way. "You'll have to do better than that." Seifer said before charging forward.

Leon didn't wait, he charged as well, and the two met mid-ring, clashing their gunblades together. They met blow for blow, neither one of them seeming to get the upper-hand on the other.

Seifer's gunblade connected with Leon's once more, and he dragged it down, holding Leon's gunblade to the ground with his own. Seifer smirked as Leon tried pulling it back, he connected his fist under Leon's jaw, knocking him on his back a few feet and his gunblade knocked from his hands.

As Leon sat up dazed, Seifer jumped forward, his gunblade held up with one hand as he pulled it back for the attack. The lighter brunette's eyes had an insane glint to them, for the thrill of the battle. Leon just stared up at his opponents, his pupils shrinking as he watched Seifer's gunblade descending.

__

Descending...

Descending...

A sharp '_Cling!'_ sounded as the blade hit the stone surface. Leon had rolled out of the way at the last possible moment, now he was on his feet. He didn't give Seifer the chance to straighten back up from his hunched state because of the attack. Leon jumped forward, one hand on Seifer's back as he crashed his knee into the other gunblader's face.

Seifer's grip on his gunblade was released when he dropped it to the ground, he staggered back from the blow a bit, holding his nose with both hands, his eyes watering. Leon kicked his gunblade a distance away to prevent him from grabbing it again. He watched as blood dripping to the ring's surface from under Seifer's hands, and he knew his nose wasn't going to be pretty looking.

"Yo browke my noze yo basturd!"

A small smirk appeared on Leon's expression when he heard Seifer, "What was that?" He asked taunting him just like Seifer had done to him before.

A dull crack was heard as Seifer straightened out his broken nose, he tried sniffing up the blood but found it hurt too much so he just let it run down and around his mouth, occasionally wiping it with the sleeve of his trench coat. Leon guess Seifer was pissed by the look he had, but it was kind of hard since Seifer only smeared the blood on his face with he tried wiping it away. He also concluded that it must be hard to look intimidating when you have a broken nose and can't talk correctly.

That didn't stop Seifer from rushing Leon however, deciding to forget about trying to get his gunblade in favor of using his fists. What was once a battle against Gunblade Specialists, has turned into a common street fight. Neither one of them had any professional hand-to-hand combat skills. They just continued to pound one another's faces in, and waited for their opponent to drop.

After Leon managed to get a good shot in at his opponent's gut, Seifer jumped back before giving a swift charge and tackle Leon to the ground. He straddled him as his fists went back and on Leon's face. After a few stunned moments, Leon could think enough to reach out and grab Seifer by the collar of his trench coat, and pulling him down while Leon lean forward and... effectively crashed his forehead with Seifer's already broken nose.

Seifer was quick to jump off with a cry of pain. He was laying across the ground nursing his nose, giving Leon the time he needed to grab his gunblade once more. By the time Seifer recovered enough to think pass the pain, Leon had his gunblade pressed against his throat. Seifer held his arms up, showing that he surrenders the match, having no other option.

----

On the sidelines, Yuffie was bouncing up and down clapping her hands excitedly, her smile wide, "WOOO! GO SQUALL!" She cheered on for his victory while her mind was still at the point where Leon's opponent was straddling Leon, and although he was pounding Leon's face in Yuffie couldn't help but think, 'That was so damn hot!'

And while this thought wasn't too uncommon for the ninja, she knew that in some practical part of her mind, she would be telling herself that seeing two men beat the daylights out of one another shouldn't be something she should find attractive. She couldn't help herself however, it didn't help the fact that Leon's opponent had looked so pretty.

Pretty...

That word no longer held anywhere near true when Seifer walked back from the ring and heading towards the infirmary tent, his blood covered nose looked a forty five degrees away from straight, and his eyes were swelled up into purple lumps. Yuffie felt a cold shutter run through her body, she hadn't known Leon could pack such a punch, she might have to remember that when annoying him.

That however, completely vanished from her mind when Leon appeared, and Yuffie almost dropped to the ground laughing. "Well... at least... it's not... permanent." She managed to choke out, much to the gunblader's irritation. He had several large bruises already forming across his beaten face. And a rather large lump on his forehead that Yuffie could almost swear is a horn.

"Yuffie..." Leon dragged her name out warningly.

Yuffie wasn't intimidated the least bit, "Gee Leon... Blue and purple... suite you." She clutched her stomach as another fit of giggles appeared.

"Whatever." Leon replied sorely before heading towards the infirmary tent.

Yuffie bit her bottom lip while grinning, "Maybe Aerith will like the color as well!" She called out laughingly.

The audience 'Booed' getting Yuffie's attention, she hadn't even heard the gong go off for the next match, and apparently, it was already done. Cid had lost, he was walking back without a scratch on him, but his Gummi Spear was broke in half. The Gummi pilot was cursing under his breath about how expensive the materials he used for his spear was and how he would have kicked his opponent's ass if he had his normal weapon with him.

Yuffie couldn't help but smirk as she bounced over to him, the tournament lifting her spirits immensely, "So you lost eh gramps?" Yuffie teased, "Guess you're just too old to fight with us young people.

"Shaddap brat! If I had my other spear I would have beaten him." He said, feeling a bit sour.

"You lasted what? A whole one minute? Let me guess... it took him one strike to split your spear in half." By the Gummi pilot's expression, Yuffie knew it was true, and she laughed.

The gong was heard once more and Yuffie turned her gaze back to the ring, hearing it this time. She clapped her hands and pointed at the ring, "Look old timer! Cloud is fighting! Oh! He's fighting that creepy guy with a claw arm I saw yesterday too!" Yuffie cupped her hands around her mouth, "Kick his ass Cloud!" She tried shouting over the audience.

--

"Bah... When I came to this world, I was hoping for a more challenging opponent. Not some maggot."

Albel Nox, war experienced and cold-hearted general of the Black Brigade army on his planet Elicoor, stood confidently in front of the blonde haired swordsman. Known for his mercilessness and his swordsmanship, he is often thought of as a psychopath on his planet. Countless lives have fallen from his sword, and he regrets none of them.

The sound of grinding metal echoed in Cloud's ears as Albel unsheathed his sword. The long thin blade surprised the mercenary at first, the familiarity of the sword was shocking. At first he thought it was the same sword that had sliced through him at one point in his past. However, the blade itself was a foot and a half too short to be the sword he was thinking off.

Cloud unsheathed his own sword and stood there sizing up his opponent. Albel is a thin man, even a bit fragile looking. He's so thin that you could see his hip bones that his long purple skirt was hugging. Looks can be deceiving however, and Cloud has had his fair share of deceit long ago. He's learned not to expect anything from his opponents until he's actually seen them fight.

Cloud wasn't given much time to think longer, Albel rushed him. Surprisingly enough however, he caught Cloud off guard. The blonde swordsman had only seen a handful of fighters able to move as quickly on their feet as Albel did. He would have been beaten in that one swing at his neck too if he hadn't had the reflexes to raise his Buster Sword and block the blow.

What surprised him even more however, is the power behind such a scrawny build as Albel, he was matching Cloud's strength, neither one of them able to push the other back at the moment. Cloud using both his hands on his sword, Albel just using one.

Cloud's opponent smirked, the glow of countless kills swarming behind Albel's violet eyes. He struck out with his claw, slashing the sharp digits at Cloud's side. When Cloud jumped back, one hand on his side, Albel held up his claw, the blood trickling down the sharp digits and dripping to the ground. "I'll spill all your blood, and tear you apart, limb from limb, worm. Why don't you just give up?"

Cloud grunted in response, and straightened himself up. He removed his hand from his side and let it bleed freely as he held onto his Buster Sword. Albel lifted his head up as he gave a sadistic smile, seemingly pleased with Cloud's answer, "Careful fool, your stupidity is contagious."

I've decided to end this chapter here, for the fact that I haven't updated in a while and continuing would take me even longer. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter is Good Ol' Cloud having to fight Badass Albel. Albel Nox is so cool.


	17. Jealousy

Okay wow… Geez… Sorry? Gets things thrown at him Sorry sorry! Okay… the reason updates have been lacking is because my computer, the one in my bedroom, the one that is all my inspiration, has been shipped off to be fixed. I'm forcing myself to write this chapter on the more crappy computer. Le sigh.. I fear this chapter will be sad and pathetic. Let's see… I know some questions were in here…

Who is Albel? - Albel Nox is a character is a video game called Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time. Here is a pic of him. http/i8. is Aerith? Aerith is a healer in the tent, where Seifer went off to get his face repaired lol.

Do you hate Aerith? Heh heh…. I do… I mean… I just don't like her character, she seems too… perfect. That's all I have to say in the matter.

Disclaimer- I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters portrayed in this fic.

P.S. For the sake of moving along, the battle between Cloud and Albel is being um… quickened. We all know we want to see the real action begin heeheehee.

_Jealousy_

Albel Nox, swift, powerful, and cocky. Pride blinds him in battles, causes him to underestimate his opponents. Cloud had him beaten down ten minutes after the battle had begun. Albel had been a formable opponent, the blonde had enjoyed battling him immensely. Perhaps if the man wasn't so overconfident, he would not have left so many openings for Cloud to take. Cloud had won, and the tournament was continuing on. Yuffie had congratulated him in her own way. A pat on the head as if he is some sort of dog and a, "Good boy." to go along with it.

Of course, now Yuffie was busy heading off to the medical tent, where Leon had gone to get patched up after fighting that Seifer guy. "Leeeon!" The young ninja chimed as she poked her head in the tent. She found said gunblader sitting on one of the beds where Aerith was using her knowledge in medical treatment to patch the older man up a bit.

"What is it Yuffie? Can't you see I'm busy." Leon said, the hint of annoyance in his voice. Yuffie didn't blame him though, he did just get a good beating.

"Actually you're just sitting there, Aerith is the one doing all the work." Yuffie skipped in and jumped up on the bed the gunblader is sitting on. "Cloud won! And he did it without getting the daylights knocked out of him." She loved rubbing the fact into Leon's face. Annoying Leon has been Yuffie's favorite pass time since she was old enough to speak. She considered herself a master at it.

"Good for him."

"Oh… Do I sense a hint of envy?" Yuffie teased as she poked his shoulder with a single finger. Leon just raised a lone eyebrow at her. "Aw It's okay Leon! You can get your face beat into the concrete as much as you want and I- we'll all still love you anyway!" She announced before hugging his beaten form tightly, "Special hug from Ninja Yuffie Extraordinaire."

The flap of the tent opened up and Cloud entered, his gaze settling on Leon and Yuffie. His brows wrinkled together before his expression became solemn once more. He crossed his arms over his chest before turning his gaze off to the side, "They're announcing the second round line up in ten minutes." He said quietly.

Yuffie grinned from ear to ear; Cloud's reaction not having gone unnoticed, 'Oh… someone's jealous.' The ninja cackled in her mind.

'_Wait… I thought it was Leon we're suppose to make jealous.'_

'Eh… Oh yeah.. I'm too comfortable hugging him to care.'

Cloud turned around and was about to leave when Aerith stood up, "Cloud wait a sec." The healer called out. Cloud turned around once more as the young woman came to stand in front of him.

Yuffie watched in silence as Aerith went to heal a cut on the blonde's cheek. Her hand hovered above Cloud's face while the green mystical healing power of Cure swirled around his face. The cut closed up in a matter of few seconds.

Aerith placed a hand on his cheek, as if inspecting it, to make sure it was really gone, "That better?" She questioned the blonde.

Cloud slowly nodded his head while staring at her, "Thanks Aer." He stood there a moment longer before stepping back and out of the tent.

Aerith turned around to face both and annoyed gunblader, and a none too happy ninja girl. She decided to be oblivious to each of their stares, "Well! Good luck in the next match."

Leon pried Yuffie's arms off from around him, and the ninja couldn't of cared less. She could feel her eye twitching uncontrollably, her stomach feels like a knotted mess, and her pulse feels like it's pounding against her skull. She can't place her finger on the reason why, but she suddenly feels very… angry at Aerith. Like she stole a cookie from her, and no one steals a cookie from the Great Ninja Yuffie without getting reprehended for it.

Just as soon as the feeling appears, she was back to her normal bubbly self, "Ah! Leon don't leave me behind you jerk!" She shouted before leaping off the bed and dashing out of the match.

"…and for the first match we have Yuffie Kisaragi against…" Yuffie stopped in her tracks, her eyes lighting up in excitement. Finally she'll be able to fight, finally she'll be able to prove she could hold her own without Leon covering her ass. Whatever poor unfortunate soul that she's going to be going up against is going to be the first one to get the taste of her ninja power. "….Cloud Strife."

"What?" Yuffie let out in a shriek. 'Cloud? I have to go up against Cloud? As in my Cloud? What the hell! I should be going up against someone else! Wait! What am I complaining for? I can beat anyone! I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie! Damn right! I can beat Cloud! I can beat anyone!'

"All battle participants will have a one hour recess." Phil announced, "One hour! So get your butts back in the arena by then."

"Eh heh…" Yuffie chewed on her bottom lip as the remaining fighters cleared out of the area. Her eyes darted about, searching for someone, that someone was easy to find. He always did seem to be close by where she can find him. He doesn't appear to have a problem at all with the pairings. "Probably took it as an easy win." Yuffie muttered under her breath before walking up to Cloud. She grabbed hold of his cloak and yank him down to her eyelevel, "I am not an easy win! Got it Spikes?" She turned her back and walked off, leaving him there in, well… confusion.

----

Cloud found himself using the free hour as a means to relax a little. In other wards, he found the nearest overhang and got out of the burning hot sun. His back pressed against the wall and his arms crossed. His eyes were closed to the world, he would much rather have a bed to sleep in, but this would do too.

"Alright Herc. Here's the deal, you go in, smack down all the little kiddies, and show them what it means to be a real hero." Cloud peeked his left eye open and peered over to Phil and Hercules as they walked passed him. They ended up stopping a few yards away from his place.

The son of God, Hercules, is just how Cloud remembers. Young, built, charming, with a touch of innocence about him. This is the man he's hired to kill, this is his target, clear in his sights, out in the open. In one quick sweep he could strike the man, half god, down. He continues watching from his place, as the two continue to converse among themselves, ignoring Cloud's presence.

The blonde could strike now and be done with it all. But his contract stated to kill Hercules in the tournament, and Cloud is sure that if he did it outside of the tournament, Hades would use it as a loophole to get out of his side of the bargain. He has no intention of letting this all slip by him again. He will finally reach him. Reach the man that has taught him the very last part of his training, giving him the reason he needed to continue to become more powerful. He was taught the feeling of hatred.

"Now that was the perfect moment, why didn't you take it?" The god of the Underworld appeared in a dark poof at Cloud's side, "Listen here Spikes, the next time an opportunity such as that appears…here's a little word of advice… Take it!"

The mercenary gave a sideways glance towards Hades, "But my contract states…"

"Yeah yeah, I know. I wrote it! Therefore I can bend the contract a little, right? Don't worry, you'll get what you want. I always deliver." He placed a friendly hand on Cloud's shoulder, and although blue flames surrounded Hades' form, his touch feels ice cold, even through the fabric of Cloud's clothes.

Cloud shook the god's hand off his shoulder and pushed off the wall. "Whatever." He left as his reply.

Hades brushed the flames that is his hair back as Cloud walked away from him, "Whoa… Okay.. Stay cool. He'll take care of Zeus's brat, and then the other contestants can kill him afterwards. Yeah… Everything is going according to plan. Perfect."

----

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Stop worrying."

"Well you do have another match coming up, so it's wise to make sure you're-"

"Don't worry, I can handle myself."

"I know you can."

"…"

Yuffie glanced back and forth from Leon and Aerith as they continued to have their small discussion between themselves. The young ninja opted to walk silently behind the two as they led the way towards the food court. She listened as Aerith continued to pester Leon about whether or not his injuries were feeling better, and Leon giving his normal short answers, acting like everything is fine.

Not only did they seem to ignore her, or choose to keep her out of the conversation, but they are walking entirely too close for the ninja's comfort. And if it's uncomfortable for herself, then it most be painful for Leon, so she's justified in deciding to save him.

Jumping up, she pried herself between Aerith and Leon, pushing the older woman away a little. She reached up and clasped onto Leon's hand without much thought put into it, "You old fart, quit acting like such a macho man. Just admit that you're in pain somewhere so Aerith can heal it, and then she can stop bombarding you with questions."

Yuffie heard the older woman giggle, in that oh so sweet girly way that always drove Yuffie insane since she knows that it was someone that would make any nearby man's heart skip a beat. She just seems to have that affect on people, Yuffie despised her sometimes for it. "I'm going to make a quick run to a market, and see what sort of supplies they have." Aerith announced before breaking away from the two, leaving them to walk to the food court on their own.

Yuffie grinned from ear to ear, as she peered up to the taller man, "So I guess it's just you an' me, Squallie." She commented, using the nickname he oh-so-despises, and Yuffie knowing this, always uses it anyway, just to get a rise out of him. She's a bit surprised and disappointed when he doesn't get on her case again about calling him by that forsaken name.

Shrugging it off, Yuffie glanced down to their hands, realizing that she's still holding onto his hand. This of course, only made her realize the fact that he has not made any move to remove her hand, or has complained about it. Yuffie, and her inner girlish self, that she chooses to keep locked away to never see the light of day, gave a mental 'SQUEE' together.

"So what do ya think of the tournament so far Leon?" Yuffie questioned, using his preferred name, since he must be in a cheery mood to let her hold his hand like so. She wanted to keep him cheery as long as possible, "Well, side the fact you got your face beaten into the pavement, it's a pretty good competition don't ya think? Heh heh, Cloud got one up on ya though. He didn't screw up his pretty little face up."

Yuffie reframed from pouting when Leon suddenly lifted his hand out of her grasp, and took a step away from her. He ended up stopping completely, which the ninja immediately followed suite. Two things could cause this, either he's angry with her and is about to lecture her, or he has something serious to say.

She watched as Leon's brows knitted together, his mouth pressing together in a fine line. To Yuffie, he seemed troubled by something. "Yuffie…. What's your relationship with Strife?"

Yuffie would have fallen in shock if she didn't have the sudden urge to burst out laughing. In the back of her mind she had two thoughts. One thinking of how cute it sounded for Leon to ask such a thing, and the other laughing at the prospect that he has to ask her such a question. Does Cloud have a relationship with anyone? He seems to push everyone back, at least, that's how Yuffie sees it.

As much as someone shows that all they want to do is help him, or just be with him, even as a friend, he just doesn't seem to care much about anyone or anything. Maybe he truly does under all that tough exterior, but unless he shows it some, Yuffie will remained convinced that he's just a hopeless cause.

When her giggles finally passed, and her thoughts finally came back to her, Yuffie is able to gather enough air to answer to the question. She shrugs her shoulders and says, "Good question. Um… I would have to say my relation with Cloud is the same between you and Aerith."

"And what's that suppose to mean?" Leon questioned, fixing a hardened stare on the ninja. His arms crossed over his chest in patience as he waits for her once again to answer.

The ninja walked on ahead of him, waving over her shoulder, "You're smart Leon, figure it out." She replied nonchalantly.

----

What break there is, was a little too short for Yuffie's tastes, for now she finds herself, in the middle of the fighting area, surrounded by roaring fans. She doesn't remember it being this packed last time she was in a tournament, nor does she remember exactly what she was smoking when she decided to actually participate in this tournament. Even if she manages to get by Cloud, she'd still have to go up against Leon sometime or another.

Of course, before the battle begins, Cloud has to get his slow moving ass into the ring. He seemed to make it a habit to take his time walking into a fight, giving his opponent, and the audience a moment to awe in all his spikiness. Yuffie isn't complaining, it gave her time to get ready for the fight, she's ready to rumble when he reaches the ring. 'I can do this. That's right! I'll show everyone that I'm not to be underestimated! No body goes into a battle against the Greatest Ninja Ever and expect to live!'

The bell rung, and the battle was commenced. Yuffie twirled a few ninja stars between her fingers on her right hand smirking towards her opponent, "Hope you're ready spikes. It's just you, me, the audience, and my ninja stars. I'll be sending you back to Aerith with your tail between your legs."

"Yuffie… just shut up and fight." Cloud commented, obviously not at all affected by her taunting.

Yuffie stomped her foot on the ring, her hand balling into fists, luckily she's smart enough to have the ninja stars between her fingers, rather then have them in her palm. That wouldn't have turned out too nicely. "You jackass! Can't you see I'm taunting here? You're not suppose to interrupt me while I'm taunting, that's like… against the rules!"

The blonde raised his eyebrow at her, "Are you taunting? Or are you stalling your defeat?"

Yuffie could feel her right brow twitch in annoyance at the question. Not because of what he said, but because he nailed her right on. So what if she is stalling? She's not ready, she needs to get into the groove of things. Warm up a little. 'I need a few more…. Years.' She thought to herself before she brightened up at a sudden idea, 'Maybe Cloud needs something on his mind to distract him in battle.' She thought wickedly before voicing her idea, "Hey Cloud, how about we up the stakes a little?"

Cloud remained silent for a moment, the audience in the background can be heard shouting for them to begin fighting, obviously, they were growing restless, "What are you proposing?" He questioned.

Yuffie grinned from ear to ear, "A bet! We get something if we win." She paused to let it sink into his head, "If I win…." She thought for a moment, what would make Cloud suffer the most? What wouldn't he want to lose? Something he wouldn't want to happen, something she'd enjoy see happening. Her smile slipped from her face as she figured out what to choose, but the smile immediately slipped back on as a mask, "If I win Cloud…" She pointed a finger in his direction, "…you can't leave us ever again without a word to anyone."

"And if I win?" He questioned immediately. He didn't seem phased by it.

'Uh oh… That wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for. He's suppose to feel a little worried, give me an edge or something I can work with. Stupid Spikes… Well maybe he is! And he's just hiding it! Yeah! That'd just be like him too! He's scared! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!'

Yuffie crossed her arms over her chest, turning to the side slightly, "Oh hell I dunno." She said without even trying to come up with something, "If you win I'll go out on a date with you." It slipped out of her mouth before she could even think about it, and she immediately felt like choking herself.

"I fail to see how that's a fair bet, or how mine is worth winning." She could hear the amusement in his tone, though it was barely there, she could hear it.

"Oh my god! Did Spikes just crack a joke?" Yuffie bounced up and down clearly excited, "Well I'll be damned!"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "I was just voicing my thoughts."

Yuffie gave a snort, "Well that sure as hell would be a first."

"You're stalling again Yuffie."

"I am not!"

"Yes, yes you are."

"Psh! I don't see you doing crap Spikes! You don't even have your huge ass sword out."

Cloud unsheathed his Buster Sword, and gave it an experimental swing before settling in his stance. Yuffie gulped nervously, after all, the sword is bigger than she is. "If you don't want to attack, I will." He announced before rushing her.

He slashed his sword at her, and with a surprised yelp, the ninja jumped over the sideways slash that would have chopped off her legs, and somersaulted away from him, landing on the edge of the ring on the other side. "Ha! You may have that big bad sword Spikes! But you swing it too slow for me!" She announced triumphantly before hurling three ninja stars in his direction. The swordsman lifted his sword, and deflected them back. "Eep!" Yuffie ducked under the stars, her arms covering her head.

When she heard the stars plunge into the stone columns at the corner of the ring she lifted her head, only to have a sword chopping down at her. She froze, and her eyes widened as her short life flashed behind her eyes. When the sword only stopped a fraction away from her head, she knew she must've been as pale as a ghost. Cloud pulled back the sword, and Yuffie stood up in a huff. "You jerk! You scared the crap out of me!" She glared at him.

Cloud's lips uplifted slightly in a small smirk as he leaned forward, bending down to eyelevel with Yuffie. "Hey Yuffie…" He called out quietly.

The ninja's throat tightened, and she couldn't seem to get her voice to work. She bent her head down a bit, feeling a bit uncomfortable with Cloud so close to her. She could literally feel his breath caressing the surface of her cheeks when she's looking up. With much difficulty she found her voice, "Y-yes?"

She felt him place a hand on her shoulder, causing her to glance up at him, only to find herself looking directly into his eyes. Everything seemed to become, in Yuffie's dictionary, fuzzified as she stared directly at him. Then she felt his hand push her back slightly, causing her to lose most of her balance. She made a scene of doing windmills with her arms while on one foot, trying to regain her balance. In the end, her back met with the sand outside the ring.

"You lost." Cloud decided to point out, he stepped over her, sheathing his sword at his back as he made his way out of the sun.

Leaving Yuffie sitting in her place, a scowl across her face, arms crossed, 'Well… this sucks.'

Ehhhh This chapter… Not so good, I admit. It's kind of hard to get back into the swing of things. I need my computer back, I have like no inspiration with this computer, but I ended up forcing myself to do this chapter for the fact it hasn't been updated in like forever.


	18. What Cloud Has Been Hiding

Well, wasn't sure what I wanted to happen in this chapter. Then I asked good ol' Annjirika about what should happen. And well, the idea seemed good for the most part, so I'll try it. If it comes out like crap, then so be it, if it doesn't, then people will be all. Yippee! Yeah….

Disclaimer- I don't own Kingdom Hearts

_When Two Fighting Hearts Clash_

Leon had watched the battle between Cloud and Yuffie from the sidelines. The fight was short for the most part, the final blow however, had disturbed him considerably. Cloud had gotten so close to Yuffie, that from his spot, Cloud almost looked like he was going to kiss Yuffie.

Leon can't seem to figure out why that would bother him so much, it's not like him and Yuffie are… you know. Nor has Yuffie ever showed any interest in having a relationship with him, not that he can recall anyway. Well even if she had, he never said that he's interested in Yuffie either. The whole thing just seemed to confuse him more the longer he thinks about it. He doesn't need to think more on it, nothing happened between Cloud and Yuffie.

Leon watched as Yuffie managed to pick herself off the ground while Cloud headed off to the other end of the Coliseum. When the ninja finally reached Leon's side of the Coliseum, he immediately greeted her with a smirk, "I guess I was right." He started off nonchalantly, "You wouldn't get past your first round." He usual amusement swarmed behind his eyes as Yuffie seemed to grow angry.

The ninja's fists balled up at her sides as she glared up at the man, "You know what Squall." Suddenly her anger seemed to wash away as she smiled amusedly. Her hand reached up to pat him gently on the cheek, "The fact is… challenging Spikes to a fight is the worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas. You won't beat him either." She said cheerfully, "And when you finally realize that, I'll be there, laughing my ass off."

Leon crossed his arms over his chest, and raised a lone brow at the ninja, "Is that a fact?" He questioned flatly.

Yuffie rolled her eyes at him, "Well _duh_. I did say 'The _fact_ is..'" She went up on her tiptoes and patted him on the head, "You're not too bright today are ya Leon?" She leapt back when he tried swiping at her hand, causing the ninja to giggle. "Well anyways, I've got to go find Aerith." She announced heading towards the medical tent.

"Break your ass on the fall to the ground?" Leon questioned while he glanced over his shoulder.

Yuffie stopped and turned around. One hand rested on her hip as she leaned her weight over to one side; a smirk slipped across her lips, "You know Leon, there are times when you should stop talking, and times when you just shouldn't talk." She advised him, "I need to find Aerith and ask her for some advise on what I do when I go out on my date with Spikes."

Leon gave a perplexed look, obviously having not expected that, "….What?"

Yuffie could see the announcement had gotten to Leon, so she decided she'd play off of it, "Oh yeah… we had a bet going… If Cloud beat me, I'd got out on a date with him. Fancy that, eh?"

Leon's brows furrowed in thought, as well as annoyance, "You don't seem upset about the matter." Yuffie just shrugged her shoulders in response, looking as joyful as ever, "…What do you mean by what you should do when you go out on a date?"

Yuffie gave a wide grin. "Well you know teenagers, all they think about is money, drugs, and sex right?" She chirped before adding, "Oooh! I should ask Aerith the quickest way to getting Cloud in bed with me. That would be some valuable information."

Leon felt his eye twitch, "Are you high Yuffie? What the hell is the matter with you?" He questioned before walking over to her and grabbing her by the arm, "Quit fooling around, Strife wouldn't go out on a date with you."

Yuffie scowled and pulled her hand free of his grasp, "Says you, ya jackass." She rubbed her offended wrist, "I don't see what the hell you're angry about. You just seem to have some sort of PMS case going on Leon. Maybe you should just pull that damn pole out of your ass already. _GAWD_! You're such an idiot."

"You threw the fight, didn't you?" Leon accused, "You threw the fight just so he'd be stuck taking you out."

Yuffie gave an innocent look, "Would I lose purposely Squallie?" She questioned before turning around and making her way towards the tent.

Leon waited until her form was hidden within the tent before answering the question, "I'm not sure." He glanced back to the ring as two different contestants got ready to fight. He decided it would be the best time to go question Cloud now, before he got into his match.

* * *

Cloud was strolling through the food court, glancing at the various dishes set out on the tables. He was tempted to get something, everything looked appetizing, but he didn't have the heart to eat anything. Maybe he'd just have something small. He grabbed a bundle of green grapes before making his way out of the food court.

"Well, well, well. A fruit lover eh? I would have pictured you more into rare meat, myself." Cloud didn't bother containing the annoyance at the sound of Hades' voice. He didn't say anything, instead he brushed past the God of The Underworld, pointedly ignoring him while plucking grape after grape and tossing them into his mouth.

"Oh ho. Too cool to talk to me?" Hades caught up with Cloud easily, and walked at his side, "Just remember who you're working for." A wicked smile spread across his lips, "Once you win the next match, you will be up against Hercules. Then our contract will be fulfilled." The contract appeared in his hands, "I will get Hercules head on a golden platter, and you…" The contract disappeared in a poof of smoke, in its place a lone black feather appeared, "..You will get another chance."

The blonde swordsman stopped automatically and stared at the feather before glancing up to Hades, "The greatest of sins come on plates of gold."

"Don't start sounding all righteous on me, Mercenary Boy. You are far from innocent. There's no such thing as innocent in these times." The feather disappeared before Hades wrapped one of his arms around Cloud's shoulders, "Besides, there's nothing wrong with getting what you desire. It's every creature's purpose in life, to fulfill their deepest desires."

Cloud gave a sideways glance, "…."

Hades lifted his arm from Cloud's shoulders, "Remember… just two more matches." He drifted away from the blonde.

Cloud turned completely around and watched as Hades disappeared. He scowled when the God was no longer with him. The grapes in his right hand became smashed as he clenched his fist. He heard the sounds of footsteps echoing in the passage, which caused him to turn around.

Before Cloud knew what's going on, a fist came soaring at him, and connected with his jaw. The punch caught him by surprise. As a result he ended up on his back. He felt a pair of hands grab him by the cuff of his shirt, and yank him up to his feet. He was shoved back into the passage wall, his from being lifted off his feet.

Cloud's hands gripped at his attacker's wrists, in an attempt to loosen the grip. He gave a dry laugh from his position, "Heh… nice to see you too, Leonheart."

It took every once of will Leon has, not to just throw Cloud to the ground and just beat the living daylights out of him. The muscles in Leon's arms tensed, his veins bulged as his grip tightened, "Mind explaining yourself to me Strife?"

Cloud gave a sideways glance, starring down the passage, "About?"

"Well you can start by explaining what the hell you are doing mixing up with the God of The Underworld." Leon is far from being angry. No… he's just flat out pissed. Not only is this about Yuffie, but now he upon finding Cloud, he finds him mixed up with the likes of Hades.

"It's business." Cloud replied simply, obviously not at all affected by the fact that Leon looks as if he wants to strangle him.

"Business." Leon snorted out in anger, "When someone gets involved with Hades, it's far from being just _'business'. _I thought you were smarter then this Strife. What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I had no other options." The blonde replied, growing annoyed with the questioning, and the fact that he can't feel the ground under his feet. "Not like it's any of your concerns Leonheart. What I do, is my business. Stay out of it."

Leon tossed Cloud to the side, hoping to toss him on the ground. Cloud proved to be agile enough to catch himself however, "What you do is your business. But when it endangers the others, I make it my damn business."

"I'm not endangering anyone else but myself." Was Cloud's flat reply.

"_Re--ally."_ Leon started, walking towards Cloud, "Tell me, what do you think Hades will do when he finds out you're involved with Yuffie?" He didn't allow Cloud time to make a reply, "He'll use it to his advantage, that's what he'll do. You're endangering her, whether you believe it or not."

Slowly, one of Cloud's blonde brows raised at Leon when he finished. "True… Hades would do something like that. As a matter of fact, he'd have already done so. If I were involved with Yuffie. But where you got the idea that I am, I can't comprehend. So do tell me Leonheart…. What the hell are you talking about?"

"You think I don't know about your little bet with Yuffie?" Leon watched as Cloud rubbed his temples, "So it's true. You did bet her to go out on a date with you." Leon gave a half smile, slightly amused at it all, "What's the matter Strife? Can't ask a girl out any other way?"

"First off, the bet was her ideas. As were the awards." Cloud shook his head, "….You're an idiot."

Leon raised a brow at Cloud, "Am I? You didn't have to agree to the terms, or the bet for that matter."

"I didn't." Cloud agreed, "But I figured I might as well help her out some." He shrugged his shoulders. Leon just gave a look that said what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about. Again, Cloud shook his head, "I'm not stupid Leonheart. Maybe if you paid more attention to her, you'd know what's going on too. Yuffie and her little games aren't the hardest to figure out."

"And what do you have to do with all of this?" Leon questioned, he wanted answers, not damn riddles.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders, "I'm just a piece of Yuffie little game." He raised a brow at Leon, "And by the looks of things, it seems to be working."

_Leonheart to the ring. I repeat, Leonheart to the ring._

Leon stood his ground, trying to comprehend what Cloud is saying. 'What the hell is he going on about? Why does he have a contract with Hades. What is going on between him and Yuffie.' He felt like strangling Cloud until the blonde provided all the answers, 'Why the hell do I even care.'

Leon raised a hand up, and pointed a finger at the blonde. The muscles in his jaw tensed as he grinded his teeth, "I'm not done with you Strife. You will explain everything after I win this match."

"And if you don't win?" Cloud questioned offhandedly.

"I will." Leon assured before running out of the passage, trying to get to the ring as quickly as possible.

Cloud watched him run off before he leaned his back against the side of the passage and slid down to a sitting position. He rested his elbow on his knee, three fingers raised on his hand. Slowly he brought one finger down, "One down… two to go."

* * *

Okay, short chapter again, this is just basically a setup chapter. I originally had this chapter about twice as long because I typed up Leon's fight, but then Microsoft Works went anal on me and closed before I was able to save any of it. -Cries- So I ended up losing the entire fight betwee Leon and... heh heh heh... well... That's a surprise. I dunno if I'll write out the fight in the next chapter, or just skip it to get to the main event. Hmm hmm... What say you all? 


	19. Main Event

Okay everyone, after much, much consideration. I have good news! I have saved a bunch on my car insurance by switching to… oh wait… Wrong news… -Ah hem- I have good news! I finally have my computer back, for the first time in seven months. Writing will be coming quicker now that I have it back. Sorry for the delaying, but never fear, it's all coming back to me now.

_The Main Event_

Yuffie pushed her way through the crowds, her nerves shot to hell. She tried at first to ask politely for people to get the hell out of her way. When that didn't work, she started shouting, which it helped a little. In the end, she had to jam a shuriken in one or two asses to get them out of her way.

She made it through the crowds and immediately jumped into the tent, "Squall!" She cried out as she rushed to his side where the healers were working on him. One of them held her back however; when she struggled they were trying to make her leave the tent. "Get the hell out of my way!" She demanded.

"Miss you'll have to leave." One of the healers said.

Yuffie was hoping that Aerith would say something, but she was far too busy with Leon to do say much on her behalf. "Get out of my way!" Yuffie exclaimed before she kicked the healer's shin. She immediately tried running over to the bedside, but she was yanked back by the back of her shirt. When she spun around and tried to clock whoever grabbed her in the jaw, her small fist was caught and she found herself under the piercing gaze of Cloud.

"Yuffie, you need to calm down." Cloud said slowly.

"Screw calming down! Squall's hurt!" She said, trying to pull his grip off of her clothes. "You may not give a rat's ass but I do!"

"…… He'll be fine." He said in monotone.

Yuffie's brows furrowed together, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She couldn't see how Leon could have gotten beaten so badly. What had happened with his fight against the other person? They fought with their fists. How can someone beat Leon with just their fists?

The ninja glanced back, looking over her shoulder to Leon's beaten form. Three long slashes that dug into his chest, leading down to his torso were all she could focus on. The other fighter must have cheated in some way. "How could Leon be hurt?" She asked quietly as she glanced back up to Cloud. She clasped onto her arm, "How can he get hurt?"

Cloud gave a look that seemed almost apologetic, "He'll be fine Yuffie." He said, trying to calm her down, "He has Aerith working on him. She's an amazing healer."

"You would know that, wouldn't you?" Yuffie bit back bitterly as she crossed her arms and looked down at the ground.

"You do to." Cloud said flatly before he released his hold on her. "This is a tournament. You get hurt when you battle. That's what happened. He got hurt. We have healers here, they will fix him up, and he'll be back to normal in a few hours."

"Wow Cloud." Yuffie said sarcastically as she tossed her arms up in the air, "That has got to be the longest thing I've ever heard you say. And you made me feel so much better at the same time."

Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm just trying to help."

"Yeah, well.. you suck at it Cloud. So just don't even bother." She replied coldly. She didn't feel like dealing with him, when Leon had just come close to being killed in battle.

_The final battle will begin in a few minutes. The winner of this match will be given the opportunity of battling it out with our Champion, Hercules! Will the fighters please report to the ring!_

"They're calling for you Cloud. Better hurry it up." Yuffie said as she offered him a raised brow.

Cloud's brows knitted together as he stared her down, "Fine." He said roughly before he turned around and walked out stiffly.

Yuffie didn't waste any time to run towards Leon bed, "Aerith is he alright? Will you be able to fix him?" She immediately bombarded the healer with questions.

"Yuffie, please, I'm trying to concentrate." Aerith said, her hands were hovered above Leon's wounds as her brows were knitted together in concentration. Two other healers were also working on the other wounds.

The younger woman moved away from the bed, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. Feeling somewhat upset, she moved to a nearby chair and sat down. She watched as the healers did their job, and hopped Leon would make it out okay.

Cloud stepped up into the ring, and stared at the fighter who bested Leon. He really couldn't see how the man had done it. Leon was one of the best fighters that Cloud has ever fought alongside with. The only type of weapon that Cloud can see this guy has is the claws attached to his gloves. Even with those, Leon would have the upper hand with the reach of the gunblade.

"So once I beat you, I get the prize money." He heard his opponent speak, the mask muffling out his voice some. "And then I get a stab at the title. Heh… the old geezer will sure be happy about all the money to begin with."

"…." Cloud said nothing as he waited for the battle to commence. The large bell rang which signaled the fight to start. The blonde didn't wait for his opponent to make the first move, Cloud wanted to end this quickly. He leapt forth, Buster Sword posed to strike. He slashed out towards the other fighter, who proved to be quite the agile one, for he dodged the attack.

"Strife, you'll have to try harder." His opponent taunted as he swung a fist towards Cloud's face.

The swordsman jumped back quick enough. He wasn't surprised his opponent knows his name, after all, the names of the fighters are announced before each battle, and the names are written on the roasters. "You seem confident in yourself." Cloud replied offhandedly after the counterstrike.

"I should be, I have the upper hand." He replied back, "Do you what it's like to fight a demon?"

"…..Yes." Cloud answered, not really interested in talking in a battle, he made another swing with his sword at his opponent.

The other fighter leapt back, his hands grabbed his mask, "Well Strife, I have a surprise for you then." He said while he began to lift the mask off.

Cloud lowered his sword, backing off for a few moments to let the fighter reveal himself. Strife's brows raised a bit in question as he recognized the man immediately. "Mr…. Hyuaga?"

Yuri let a smirk slide across his lips when Cloud recognized him, "Didn't expect me, now did ya? The old geezer had me sign up for this thing when he heard how much the prize money is."

"…..I don't care." Cloud said immediately, "You're still going to lose."

Yuri waved a finger at him, "I said I have the upper hand and I meant it." He paused for a moment before he continued, "Leonheart was a worthy opponent, and I know that you must be too. So that's why I won't waste any time."

"What are you going on about?" Cloud questioned. Instead of answering him however, Yuri showed what he was speaking of.

At first, it seemed like he was in pain, as he crouched down in pain, clutching his head, giving a struggled cry. His body seemed to be erupted in a white light. Then wings poked out from the light, and an unearthly cackle rang in Cloud ears. The light disappeared and a demon stood before him. It reminded him of the one he fought back in Traverse Town, the one Hades had brought. The only differences were that this demon was bigger, more muscular, and the one he fought in Traverse Town used to be a man who he had traveled with.

Cloud heard a voice, like a whisper in his mind. It spoke one word, 'Amon.' The demon, Amon, stretched out its wings and lunged forth, claws extracted and ready to kill. Cloud's wing shot out from his back, he immediately took off into the air, flying backwards as he swung his sword to deflect the demon's claws.

"So this is how you beat Leon." Cloud said, talking to the demon. He isn't sure if Yuri is still himself or can understand him, but he really didn't care either. He brought the Buster Sword back, and slashed it towards Amon, the demon made a front flip in mid air, over the blade and Cloud for that matter, letting his feet smash into Cloud's back. The blonde fell out of the sky, striking down on the ring below.

Cloud did manage to get back up to his feet quite quickly however, which gave him time to glance up at Amon. The demon remained high in the air, a large dark sphere of energy building up above him. The mercenary kneeled down and leapt into the air, flying towards Amon like a rocket. He held his sword back, posed to strike. Amon let out of demonic growl as it hurled the large sphere down towards Cloud.

Instead of trying to go around the blast, Cloud continued on a straight path, his form beginning to crackle with red lightening. He drove into the sphere, his form going through it like it was nothing, he came out of the other side and slashed out his sword, cutting off the demon's left wing.

((AN- Nothing like an Advent Children moment.))

Amon grabbed Cloud's ankle while it began to fall from the sky. The blonde's eyes widened as both of them began head towards the ground outside of the ring. At their impact, a large dust cloud kicked up.

Cloud was piled on top of what is now, Yuri. Amon having disappeared from sight.

_Erm... Well it appears we have a rather peculiar predicament; both fighters are out of the ring… since it appears Cloud Strife has landed last, we will have to award him the victory. So ladies and gentleman, Cloud Strife is the winner._

"Well…" Yuri started, "That sucks. Mind getting off of me?"

"You'll need to do some explaining to Leon and the rest later." Cloud said before he picked himself off the ground. He dusted the dirt of his clothes before he sheathed the Buster Sword at his back. He looked around for any sign of his friends, but he didn't see any of them. Most like they would still be with Leon.

Phil appeared at Cloud's side, the small goat-man seemed to appear out of thin air, that or he was just to small to have been noticed until he actually spoke. "Good job kid. Ready to take a stab at the champ, Herucles?"

This was the moment he had been waiting for. When he finishes off Hercules, Hades would give him what he wanted. Although Hades' honesty is no longer questionable, Cloud knows the god is nothing but a liar. This could be his only chance however.

Cloud smoothed back his spikes, "No."

"No?" Phil questioned in surprise as he leaned in to make sure he heard right.

"I do not wish to fight him." Cloud let his gaze drop to the ground, he knew what he was doing was potentially dangerous, if not stupid. Hades will become furious no doubt. Cloud had however, decided at the beginning of the last battle, that Hades was not the way. The god would not help him, he will find what he's searching for on his own.

Okay, that's it everyone. I know I know. WHAT? ALREADY! This chapter was pretty boring, and rushed through, but I wanted to get the Tournament over and done with to get to the better things. –Wink- The pieces will be getting put together soon, and Yuffie will be having some serious issues. 0) Isn't that lovely?


	20. Returning Home

Howdy y'all! I'm working on getting this thing moving, can ya tell? Well enough of the gibber gabber, let's get this shindig on the road.

_Returning Home_

After the tournament, and when Leon was well enough to move once more, the gang made their way back towards Traverse Town. Cloud had one last meeting with Hades before he left with his friends. He sorted out their 'contract', which involved threatening the God from the Underworld with his gigantic meat cleaver, until the contract was torn apart. The blonde did not wish to deal with that liar anymore; he had been his scapegoat for far too long.

The ride back to Traverse Town was spent in silence, taking out Cid's cursing and the sounds coming from the engine of the ship. Cloud took his solitary position in the corner of the ship, keeping his eyes cast down at the floor. He was afraid to look up, afraid he'd find everyone starring at him. He had informed them of his contract with Hades before he got back on the ship. They were none too pleased with him.

Aerith forgave him soon enough, saying that everyone loses their way. Leon had forgiven him, but seemed annoyed beyond hell that he would stoop so low as to getting into a contract. Cid had smacked him alongside the head calling him several profanities. The old pilot threatened that if he ever got into a contract that was with someone like that again he'd take his spear and stick it in a non-too-pleasing area.

Yuffie had been surprisingly quiet with the ordeal. Then again, she was probably still recovering from the shock of Leon's near death experience, which didn't seem to damage the Gunblader's pride, at least not so much that the others could tell if the loss affected him or not.

Even though Cloud seemed to be forgiven, he couldn't help but feel things were unsettling about the atmosphere of the group. He couldn't be completely sure if it was because of him, or because of Yuri Hyuaga, who asked to hitch a ride with them. The fist fighter seemed to have enough sense to keep his mouth shut the entire ride.

It was only when the Gummi Ship was landing outside of Traverse Town that someone decided to speak up. Yuri stood up from his seat and glanced about the compartment, one hand placed on his side with his thumb hooked in his pants' belt loop, "Well that was interesting."

Aerith, Leon, and Yuffie each exchanged glances to one another, as if unsure of what he was speaking about. The healer held up a finger and leaned forward a bit, "I'd advise you to sit back down."

Yuri didn't listen, instead he smoothed his hair back, and threw a punch in the air, "And why's that?" To answer his question, the Gummi Ship touched ground, causing the entire ship to give a violent shake, which in turn knocked Yuri off his feet.

Leon turned towards their landlord who was sprawled out on the floor of the ship, "That's why." He said simply before stepping over his form and opening the side door of the ship.

Yuri was the last one to leave the ship. When he jumped out on the ground he was quick to give his farewell, "Well thanks for the ride. I got to make my way over to that old geezer and tell him of my defeat in the tournament. I surmise, that he will be 'displeased'" He gave a short wave and hurried off into Traverse Town.

"………."

"So… now what?" Yuffie was the first to speak, looking to Aerith and Leon for the answer.

Leon turned around and began making his way towards the entrance of Traverse Town, "We go home." He answered with ease.

"I'm going to go visit the hospital and see if they need any help." Aerith announced before following after Leon.

Yuffie turned towards Cloud who was looking over at Cid, who was working underneath his precious Gummi Ship. "Well?" The young ninja questioned, gaining the blonde's attention. He simply stared at her blankly, not sure what she expects him to say.

Yuffie just rolled her eyes at him, "Forget it. I'm going with Aerith." She announced before running off to catch up with the healer, leaving Cloud in the dust.

The cursing coming from the ship gained Cloud's attention once more, and with everyone gone, Cloud found this the perfect opportunity to have a nice heart to heart with the older man. He walked over to where Cid's feet stuck out from underneath the ship; the sounds of metal banging together could be heard coming from under the ship.

Cloud stood next to Cid's legs and knocked on the side of the ship, which may have been a bad idea because the next thing he hears is a dull clunk and a ring of curses coming from Cid. This meant that he had indeed whacked his head from underneath the ship. When questioned on what he was interrupting him for, Cloud spoke up, "I wish to ask you something Cid." He announced.

Mumbled curses were heard before Cid spoke up from under the ship, never breaking from his task at hand, "I'm listening."

"What should I do?" Cloud gave his confused question.

Cid stopped what he was doing, and for a few moments nothing came from the old pilot. He slid out from under the ship and stood up. After taking a moment to dust himself off he leaned against the side of the ship and lit up a cigarette, "Alright now…" He said then inhaled the smoke from his cigarette, "…what the hell are you going on about?"

The blonde dropped his head and scratched the back of his neck, looking and feeling rather lost at the moment, "I… don't know what to do anymore." He started before lifting up his head, "I've had one path set in my mind for the last nine years. But after this long, it grows… tiresome to continue. I don't know how to continue on, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore." Cloud stopped when he noticed Cid was just staring at him.

"Feel better?" The older man questioned with a raised brow.

"I… sound stupid don't I?" Cloud asked uncertainly.

"No… you sound like a fucking idiot." Cid pointed out, "If you don't know what to do with you life now, than you're living it in the wrong way."

"So… what do I do?" Cloud questioned in confusion.

"Jesus Christ. Do I have to tell you everything?" Cid asked in annoyance before throwing his cigarette on the ground and smashing it into the ground with his foot. "Want to know what to do? Go make some friends, and get your lazy ass a god damned job. And once more, get a new wardrobe because you look like a god damned vampire, and quite frankly, it gives me damned nightmares."

"Thanks Cid…" Cloud replied dryly.

"Anytime kid, now leave me alone so I can fix this baby up."

Yuffie had long since accepted the fact when she was younger that when Aerith had a job that involved healing, that she could not be turn from her duty as a healer for any reason. This is why the ninja had just been following Aerith around for the past fort-five minutes, waiting for Aerith to get updated with patients and gain any news on any arrivals.

When Aerith was slowing down in her routes, a clear sign that she wasn't as busy as before, Yuffie decided to take the opportunity to ask a few questions she meant to ask her back at the Coliseum, "Aerith, have you ever been out on a date?"

The question was not one Aerith had ever expected from Yuffie, at least not for a few years. After all, the ninja had never really given any indication of participating in such activities. So needless to say, the question had caught her by surprise, "What? Why do you ask Yuffie?"

"Just answer the question." Yuffie demanded more than asked.

"Well, I used to date Cloud." Yuffie stopped herself from wincing, "But that was a long time ago." Aerith replied.

"You mean, you haven't since then?" The younger woman asked, feeling a bit surprised.

"Unless you count Leon."

"Leon? What? Your dating Leon?" Yuffie had to hold herself back from shrieking.

Aerith gave a small giggle and shook her head, "No no… we went out on friendly outings every now and then. Nothing more." She assured her.

"Oh…" Yuffie replied while thinking, 'How come I didn't know about that?' She shook her head and mustered up the nerve to ask her next question, "So… what exactly do you DO on a date?" She felt not only embarrassed for asking, but also incredibly stupid for not having the slightest idea on the subject.

Aerith stopped walking and turned around, giving a slightly lost look. "Well…" She started, a little loss for words, "There's really… no guidelines for a date. I suppose… you just talk to your date, and go do something you both agree on. You just try to have fun, unless of course, you were intimate with your date, which you should wait a few years…" Aerith finished giving Yuffie an expectant look.

For her behalf, Yuffie held her hands out in front of her and shook her head vigorously. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the mere thought of doing anything with anyone that was not within her set standards. What were those standards are exactly, she has yet to decide. "No! Gees Aerith… I'm going to have a hard enough time with just a normal date."

Aerith smiled instantly, giving Yuffie a knowing look, "So you do have a date." She said more than questioned it. The older woman gave a small jump and a clap to show her excitement, "Oh Yuffie that is so great! I can help you get ready for your date. We'll have to do your hair, and we'll need to get you some sort of decent clothes, not that you clothes are decent. Just that wearing those out on a date would be so… bleh."

'Why am I suddenly frightened?' Yuffie questioned herself before shaking her head, "Um… thanks but no thanks Aerith. I'll be going as I am."

Aerith shook her head while she waved a finger, a disappointed look crossing her face, "Tsk, tsk Yuffie. You should dress for the occasion. It'll at least show that you're interested in the date."

Yuffie gave a wide smile in response, "Well then I shouldn't because I'm not." She pointed out

"No need to be embarrassed about it Yuffie."

"I'm not embarrassed."

"Then you shouldn't have a problem with it."

"I don't have a problem with it."

"Then you should dress for the occasion."

"I don't want to."

"Because you would be embarrassed?"

"I'm not embarrassed."

"Then you wouldn't care if you dressed up."

"I don't care."

"Fine."

"Fine." Aerith grinned while Yuffie thought about what just took place. It took a minute or two for the ninja to catch on, "Did you just…"

"Nope! Too late Yuffie." Aerith announced cheerfully. This only caused Yuffie to scowl in response. The healer nearly jumped at a new thought, "Oh! I didn't even ask. When and who?"

Yuffie gave an uncertain laugh, "Um… Whenever I decide, which I should probably get on that, so we should really just go get me something and all that." She announced, trying to get the subject to change.

"Yuffie… Who?" Aerith questioned this time with a little more authority in her tone.

"Cloud…" She replied weakly.

Aerith gave a confused look in response, "Cloud?"

Yuffie nodded. "Cloud."

"Cloud as in… Cloud?" The concept seemed to have lost Aerith.

"Uh… I dunno any other Clouds… do you?" Yuffie questioned.

"N-no… but… Cloud?" Aerith just seemed unable to grasp it for the most part.

"Yes, I'm going on a date with Cloud!" Yuffie shouted, now annoyed. All movement and noise in the hallway stopped, and Yuffie found everyone staring at her. It made her feel a little self conscious about herself, "What? Got a problem with me going out with Cloud?" She questioned to them all, even though she doubted they knew who Cloud is.

Well that's it for this chapter, hope you enjoyed this one better than the last. The next chapter should be much more interesting. –Chuckles- Oh the horror! Keep an eye out for the next chapter of Jealousy _Tips For The Dating Inclined _


	21. Tips For The Dating Inclined

Howdy everyone. Sorry for the delays in this fic. My DSL has been disconnected, -Scowls- But with spring break and no internet, it's given me time to work on this fic. I also beat Kingdom Hearts 2. Might I take a moment to say... –Holy crap-? That being directed towards the Sephiroth-Cloud battle and all that. Sephiroth's voice seemed alright, but Cloud's… oh man… Cloud's was just sp hilarious. I swear to you, he squeaks whenever he yells out 'Sephiroth!' His voice is just wrong…

On a further note about the game, my sister was the first one to comment on this, but every world is a damned love story. Yeeesh. Even Hallow Bastion because of Tifa being there and searching for Cloud. Than the Cloud and Aerith moment. Heh heh, Cloud is in a triangle even in Kingdom Hearts, how sad for him.

Disclaimer- I do not own Kingdom Hearts

_Tips For The Dating Inclined _

Yuffie had learned a new lesson in life, 'Don't let Aerith shop for you.' They had spent three hours going from shop to shop in search for something, in Aerith's definition, 'perfect'. When Aerith pulled dresses off from hangers, Yuffie had taken the opportunity to tell the older woman that she would not be caught dead in a dress unless she was under the influence of something.

Three hours and much compromising later, Yuffie had gotten her outfit, which she has to admit that it is a nice outfit. It's not something she'd wear everyday, or occasionally, but she may stash it away for some random knighting where she has to dress somewhat decent.

With much compromising, Aerith allowed Yuffie to get a blood red tank top and a black leather sleeveless vest so long as she went with the black skirt that Aerith picked out. The skirt Yuffie didn't have a problem with. It falls down to her ankles so she can still were her shorts underneath it, she felt she won that end of the bargain.

Aerith tried convincing Yuffie into wearing heels, but the last time she wore them, it was an endless amount of teasing from Leon after she successfully fell flat on her face countless times. She had gotten so frustrated with the heels at the time that she had taken them off and hurled them at Leon. She was not about to let that happen again. She's wearing her sneakers, no heels.

When they were heading back to the apartment, with Yuffie's outfit tucked safely in her arms, Aerith had given the young ninja pointers and advice for the date. She labeled her words as the 'Dos and Don'ts'. Yuffie tried to keep up, but they were so many that she lost track of most of them so she just ended up nodding her head and agreeing.

Yuffie dropped her clothes down on her bed in a small heap. She walked over to the dresser and examined herself in the mirror. Two hours ago, she watched Cloud enter his room. While he was in there, she had slipped a small note under his door that simply read, 'We're getting the damned date out of the way. Be ready in two hours.'

She had no idea why she put two hours down, she only needed about twenty minutes, at most, to get ready. Aerith had suggested earlier going without the bandana on. A good idea if it weren't for the fact that now she has to deal with an indent in her hair where the bandana used to reside.

It took her ten minutes to actually get it out of her hair, which in affect, caused her to comb the rest of her tangled mess on top of her head. She can't see how girls can comb their hair for so long, just so it's perfect. If she ever turned out to be like one of them, she'd have to get Leon to slap her.

When she finished combing her hair she glanced over to her clock. It has officially been fifteen minutes since the two hour mark. _You should make your date wait a little._ Aerith had said that, and when Yuffie asked her why, the older woman's response was a mere giggle. But alas, Yuffie followed her instructions anyway.

Having made him wait long enough, Yuffie decided to go. When she opened her door she found a piece of paper tapped to the outside of her door.

_-Got tired of waiting, went ahead to the café._

Yuffie stared down at the note dumbly. After reading it a few more times she rolled her eyes and crumbled it up, "Thanks Aer." She said aloud before she tossed it over her shoulder and proceeded down the hallway.

She found Leon in the living room, seated on the lazy boy and a newspaper opened in his lap. He glanced up from his paper to look at Yuffie. He ended up starring a few moments longer as if he tried to decide if it's really Yuffie or not. "…What's with the outfit?"

_Feel free to let people know who you're going out with. It'll impress some people, and make other's jealous, which is a good thing._

Yuffie paused to think of Aerith's shared wisdom, "It's… for a date." She answered slowly, a little too distracted in trying to think of more of Aerith's tips.

Leon glanced back down at the paper, "…The one with Cloud?"

Yuffie quickly nodded her head, "Yep!" She twisted from side to side to show off the outfit more, "Ya like it?" She questioned curiously.

"….Whatever."

Yuffie walked over to Leon and gave his head a comforting pat, "I know… you're jealous that I'm going out on a date with Cloud and you aren't." She teased with a smile.

Leon glanced up to her with a raised eyebrow, "Why would I go out on a date, or want to, with Cloud?"

Yuffie pulled her hand back as she gave a confused look, "Huh? No wait… I mean…"

"Give up before you hurt yourself." Leon commented before glancing back down at the paper.

The comment made Yuffie momentarily pale. 'Did he mean give up on teasing him, or give up on… no… he means teasing him of course. Yeah…' The young ninja shook her head before walking over to the door, ready to leave. However when she opened it, she froze in her spot, "It's raining!" She announced dreadfully.

"Yep." Leon answered back casually.

Yuffie turned to him, her hands resting at her hips as a look of annoyance passed over her features, "Why didn't you just say so?"

"You never asked."

She fought the urge to continue arguing with him, it's bad enough Cloud is probably waiting for her at the café. With that thought in mind she walked over to the closet and pulled an umbrella out. At least she won't have to worry about her clothes sticking to her body from being wet. On normal circumstances she wouldn't care.

"Yuffie." Leon called over as she was about to leave. He didn't glance up from his paper, "You look nice."

The compliment, although small, brought a big smile to her face, "I know, but thanks." She replied back before opening up the umbrella and dashing off through the rain.

Leon rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat to close the front door that Yuffie had so kindly left open.

Getting to the café was a breeze, finding Cloud in the strangely crowded place was another issue. Usually you can find Cloud out of any crowd; his blonde, massively spiky hair and red cloak make him stick out quite noticeably.

She felt kind of stupid standing at the entrance of the café and looking around. She could probably find him if she wondered around but the place looked too crowded to really walk around freely. She didn't want to bother any other costumers in the place.

Someone calling her name followed closely by a tap on the shoulder made her turn around sharply. She had to do a double take at what she was looking at. Cloud had gotten some new clothes. No longer did he wear that red cloak and torn, beaten mercenary outfit.

He was decked out in a similar mercenary outfit, except this new one is black rather than that dull purple color. The sleeves of the shirt seem separate pieces, held on by shoulder guards that bore a wolf's head on them. The sleeves are loose and draped down just above his knuckles.

His matching pants complimented his shirt enough and he was sporting a pair of brand new black shiny boots. Without the cloak covering half of his face, it was much easier for Yuffie to see his face. Now she wouldn't have to try and peek around the cursed thing when he wasn't looking.

_You should try complimenting on their looks, if they dressed up for the occasion._

Yuffie was thinking about Aerith's advice and said the first compliment that came to her mind. "You're hot!" She announced loudly. She winced and looked around to make sure none of the café's other occupants weren't staring at her.

"A joke, right?" Cloud replied right back.

Yuffie looked back up at him, tilting her head to the side slightly in curiosity, "No… wait… you mean to tell me no one's said that before? To you, that is."

Cloud crossed his arms over his chest and raised an amused brow at her, "… You're pretty." Yuffie was about to give a cheerful thanks in return but Cloud finished his sentence before she could, "…straight forward aren't you?"

The young ninja gave a small laugh before shrugging her shoulders, "I see no reason to beat around the bush. Beside, it's just a compliment. You know it's true anyway. If I said otherwise, I'd be lying."

"Ah… you're specialty."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Cloud replied casually before giving her a once through. Again a brow raised on this as he asked, "What's with the outfit?"

'Is this some sort of guy language that's supposed to be a compliment?' Yuffie thought in annoyance as she pressed her lips together to keep herself from asking that very question. It's embarrassing enough that she's actually dressed up like this. "Well… what's up with yours?"

"The cloak made people stare at me like I was some sort of vampire." Yuffie had the sudden image of Cloud with long vampire fangs, sinking his teeth into the side of her neck and sucking her blood. The image made her shiver at the thought. "So I got this instead." Cloud said finishing up.

What he said beforehand, Yuffie wasn't sure since she had been daydreaming. "Y-Yeah… that'll keep people from staring." She commented with a quite roll of the eyes, "Um… we gunna sit down?"

Twenty minutes after their grand introduction of their 'date'. Yuffie found herself seated across Cloud at one of the small tables in the café, admiring the workmanship of the table top. She has been picking away at a piece of splinter ever since they finished ordering their meal. Since ordering, Cloud has said next to nothing to her, and she hadn't tried striking up conversation either.

_Try finding a topic you both are interested in and start a conversation_

Yuffie had been thinking about those very words for the last ten minutes. She couldn't think of anything that she and Cloud can possibly share an interest in. "Um… Nice weather… we're having?" She finally said after much thinking.

"It's raining." Cloud pointed out dryly.

"So? I happen to like the rain." She shot back childishly proud.

Cloud paused for a moment before replying back with, "I guess… I do too."

Yuffie nodded her head with a smile working its way onto her face, "Yep! Rain is fun. You get to splash in it, get all soaked. Drip water onto the rug when you finally enter your house. You can splash other people that are dry underneath their umbrellas."

"In other words…" Cloud began, "It gives you another opportunity to be a pain in the ass."

"Yeah…" Yuffie started, biting her tongue to stop herself from making a derogatory statement, "… well smart ass, why do you like it?"

Cloud gave a nonchalant shrug, "I just do."

"Liar." Yuffie accused while pointing a finger at him, "No body just likes something. There's always a reason for it."

Cloud gave a very small smile, "Does that mean you get the hint that I'm not caring enough to share?"

"Get the hint that I don't care enough about your privacy to let it drop?" Yuffie snapped back without missing a beat.

Cloud let out a long breath, "Why does it matter?"

"Why does it matter enough that you won't share?" She replied back smartly.

Cloud hunched forward to rest his cheek on his fist where his elbow was rested on the table top. He drummed his fingers on the table as if he were weighing his options, "I… because…" He started with his uncertain tone, "You can't tell between raindrops and tears when you're caught in the rain."

Yuffie fell silent and stared at him with a questioning gaze for a while before she managed to snap out of it long enough to comment, "…Wow… That was the cutest thing I've ever heard you say, in a depressing kind of way."

Cloud sat up and crossed his arms over his chest, "And that is why I didn't want to say anything."

Yuffie waved him off, "Don't worry, if it makes you feel any better, you're cute to begin with. So I guess it all blends together in a blendy kind of way."

"That doesn't make me feel better." He replied back flatly.

Yuffie just shrugged, "Oh well, I tried." She commented before her eyes caught site of the waiter bringing over their meals. "Food."

_Don't chew with your mouth open and I know it's hard for you Yuffie but don't speak with you mouth full._

Throughout the meal, Yuffie had to remain conscience of how she chewed her food and when she spoke. She went the extra mile by not shoveling the food in her mouth like a rabid dog. All in all, it really annoyed her to have to actually pay attention to it all, while at the same time try to keep a conversation going with Cloud. After the whole 'rain' conversation, she found herself much more at ease with speaking freely.

"So… did you ever have any relationships out on the road?" Yuffie asked out of the blue. She was always curious about it.

"No." Short, sweet, to the point.

"Really? Not a one?" Yuffie questioned surprised.

"Not a one."

"Make any friends?" Yuffie tried to stay on the topic of his traveling so she could gather up the nerve to ask what she really wants.

"One."

That sparked the young ninja's interest; she had half expected him to say he didn't make any. "Really? Where are they now?"

"Dead."

"Oh." Yuffie picked at her slice of cheese cake. Her appetite had disappeared a while back. Cloud didn't seem to be all that hungry either since he had slowed down to a snail's pace when eating his slice. "So um… Are you interested in relationships?" She asked stupidly. She really should have planned out conversations before going out on this thing.

Cloud's answer was a mere shrug, "I guess to an extent."

"Uh huhhh." Yuffie placed her fork down and gave a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat's. "And what type of girls are you interested in?"

Cloud lifted his head and locked his eyes with hers; his face completely expressionless. Slowly he leaned forward enough so he could whisper his reply, "Who said its girls I'm interested in?"

Yuffie's grin dropped, as well as her mouth as she stared at him wide-eyed. Cloud sat back while keeping a straight face. That is until he blinked and it all fell apart.

Yuffie was now staring at him in disbelief for a different reason. She found it fascinating that Cloud had made a joke in the first place, but she found it downright bizarre to find him in tears from laughing so hard. She half expected him to fall off his chair and collapse to the floor with the way he's going.

When he calmed down enough and the remainder of the café went back to their own conversations, Cloud decided to comment, "The face was priceless." He said with a hint of a smile still on his face. "To answer your question, I don't know. I don't have a type."

Yuffie slowly nodded her head. She was still in a bit of a haze from what had just happened, 'I think Cloud might be bipolar.' She thought to herself.

"Well what about you?" Cloud questioned to snap Yuffie out of her thoughts.

"Uh…" Was Yuffie's response; she had never really thought about it. "Well… hmm…" She rubbed her chin and looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I guess whomever I end up with, if I ever do get someone… it would have to be someone who can put up with me for one thing."

"Okay…"

"I want the type of guy who can be as much of a smartass as me…"

"A dynamic duo huh?"

"And he can joke around and have fun. I want a guy that will jump in the puddles with me when it's raining. One who will, for no reason at all, push me into a puddle. Yep! That about sums it up."

Cloud blinked dumbly at her for a few moments, "You want someone who will push you into a puddle?" He questioned while giving her a strange look. She, in turn, shrugged her shoulders. "In other words, you want some jackass." He said offhandedly before giving a short laugh.

The laugh made Yuffie smile but she didn't disagree with him. "Well… I'm a bitch. I need a jackass to keep me in line, don't ya think?"

Cloud's brows rose at her, "I wouldn't go far as bitch. Obnoxious sometimes, but everybody can be."

"Gee… thanks Cloud."

He shrugged his shoulders.

When they left the café, they were relieved to find that the rain had stopped. Yuffie was quite surprised that Cloud could actually be remotely interesting to talk to. She figured he wouldn't actually speak all that much on this date.

"You know, I never agreed to the terms of the bet." Cloud announced suddenly while they walked around the district.

"Ah… true. But here's the counter argument." Yuffie started. She lifted her hand and poked his shoulder, "You never disagreed to it either."

Cloud shrugged his shoulders lightly, "Didn't have time to think of anything else either. That and I really didn't care either way."

Yuffie raised her eyes up to his face and gave him a questioning look, "You didn't care whether you won or lost?"

"Not really."

"Well if you think of something else before the night is over, then let me know and I'll take it."

"…Okay."

Yuffie walked ahead of him a bit as they came up towards a bench. She took a seat on it and waited for Cloud to take a seat as well. When they were both seated she decided to ask a few questions that no one else seemed to give answers to. She had asked Leon and Aerith countless times yet they would never give her a straight answer. It was as if they wanted Cloud to tell her himself.

"Cloud… Why did you leave us?" She stared down at her hands in her lap, not wanting to see his reaction to the question for fear she would chicken out.

Cloud took a long moment before saying anything. He had obviously been caught off guard by the question. "I'm here now… So does it really matter?" He slouched in his seat so he could rest his head on the back of the bench while he stared up to the sky.

"Yes. It does matter." Yuffie said as a matter-of-factly. "Leon, Aerith, and Cid seem to know. I'm the only one who doesn't. It annoys me when everyone knows something that I don't."

Cloud let out a tired breath; the subject was obviously not one he could easily discuss. "On that night of the Heartless taking over Hallow Bastion, I left to search for someone."

"Who?"

"…My sensai."

"Oh… um… what happened?"

"Hmm… let's say… I find him but he was no longer my teacher. He had one last thing to give me when I found him. And then he vanished. For the remainder of the time I have been searching for him."

Yuffie was trying hard to actually follow what was being said, and pay attention to details. It was hard considering she has a pretty short attention span. But these were questions she had been seeking answers to. And with Cloud actually sharing things, she didn't want the opportunity to pass her by. So she pressed the matter further, "What did he give you?"

Cloud's immediate reply was a dry laugh, void of any amusement. "The darkness… Once he's gone I will no longer be lost in the darkness and I will see the light."

Yuffie chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Not fully understanding, and not truly wanting to understand it all for fear what it all meant. Cloud said that he's lost in the darkness. She wasn't sure if she actually agrees with him. Weren't people using the powers of darkness all suppose to be evil and dangerous?

Every person she's heard of that uses the powers of darkness, were all seeking greater power. They all wanted destruction of the worlds it seemed like. But Cloud just wants to get rid of his darkness. Now that she thought about it, doesn't the heart hold both light and dark? You can't have darkness without light. And light cannot exist if there is no darkness. So in that respect, every living soul has some sort of darkness within them.

Maybe Cloud was just paranoid about it all. Or perhaps he only focuses on the dark part of his heart and not the light. Yuffie had to wonder… What would happen if Cloud did destroy the person he's seeking? Would he feel like the darkness within him has disappeared? Or will the victory just slip him further into his dark thoughts?

Yuffie guessed she had been lost in thought for too long because Cloud had to snap her back to reality while waving his hand in front of her face. "Have a nice trip?" He immediately questioned when he noticed she came to.

"Huh? Oh… Uh… Yeah… hee hee sorry." Yuffie scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. She wasn't one who thought deeply on things. "So… does this mean you'll be leaving us again?"

Cloud stood up from the bench. His eyes were locked on the stars above as he thought about the question, "If it means anything… I don't ever plan on leaving. When I leave it's sudden for me as well. It all depends on circumstances."

"Yeah well… that good enough." Yuffie replied. She didn't want to stay on the subject anymore. "Okay!" She exclaimed as she hopped off the bench. "So where to next?"

When the two were finally heading back to the apartment, Yuffie had long since decided beforehand that Cloud's boots are entirely too shiny. She had come to that decision while he had beaten her countless times at the game of pool. Apparently, Cloud's idea of fun was to drag her off to a bar, and teach her how to play pool.

Granted, the game was fun at first, if not amusing to her. That was until Cloud beat her five times in a row. She's a competitive person so she started getting more serious, while Cloud remained as stoic as ever. Except for the tiny smirk he wore throughout the time, she just wanted to take the pool stick at one point and break it over his head.

Two hours had passed before they realized how late it was getting, so they headed off towards home. So far, Yuffie had successfully scuffed some of Cloud's left boot, making it appear to be an accident. All five times. Now she just needed to get the other boot. So she started walking by his other side. He seemed to be more alert than before. Her little act was going to set him off course much longer.

Yuffie decided not to just play innocent anymore, with a quick step and a hop, her left foot ran across his boot. "Scuff!" She announced aloud.

Cloud turned his gaze on her completely and raised a lone brow at her, "Would you like me to take my boot off so you can get the rest?" He questioned with a hint of annoyance.

Yuffie shook her head quickly, "Nah. That would be too easy. This way's much more fun."

Cloud shook his head and turned his gaze back in front of him once more. Yuffie made a move to scuff his boot once more. Instead of scuffing them like she planned on doing, Cloud managed to catch her in the act. His foot jerked back while his hands reached out to her shoulders and shoved her back.

Having been the process of scuffing his boot, she was caught off balance. This caused her in stumbling backwards a bit before falling flat on her ass in a puddle.

"Oops!" The innocent sounding word came out of Cloud's mouth as he stared at her. The look of satisfaction was clear in his eyes as Yuffie sat in the puddle with a disbelieving look across her face.

Yuffie's hand shot up as she pointed a finger up at him, "You pushed me into a puddle!" She accused.

"Actually, I pushed you away from me. You kind of just… made it to the puddle on your own." He pointed out trying to keep up with the innocence.

"Bull crap!" She exclaimed with annoyance, "You pushed me into this damn puddle! Do you know how much this thing cost me?"

Cloud's brow rose at her, "Nothing?" He questioned smartly.

Yuffie opened her mouth but promptly shut it. She thought for a moment before speaking, "Okay, so I may not have bought it myself. But it's the principle of the matter!" She stood up and twisted her head around in attempt to see the damage. A large wet, brown, splotch is on her butt. "And now my ass is cold thank you very much." Cloud gave a shrug while he smirked.

Thunder roared across the night sky before lightening streaked across the clouds. Rain immediately started pouring down on them; the storm returning from earlier that night.

Yuffie looked up against the storm and let the raindrops pelt down on her face. She shivered with the sound of thunder and the sight of lightening. She didn't lie about liking the rain, but one of her childhood fears is thunderstorms. She can feel her hair growing heavy as it became damp and soon it will be soaked enough that water will just be dripping off the end of her hair.

Her clothes were just beginning to stick to her small form when an umbrella came above her to shield her from the rain. She took her eyes off the sky and glanced over to Cloud as he held the umbrella towards her. She gave him a small appreciative smile before she shook her head, "I'll just let the rain wash the mud off my butt. I don't care."

Cloud hesitated a moment before pulling the umbrella back and closing it. "A little rain never hurt anybody." He said offhandedly as he let the rain drench his form. He moved over towards the building off to the side and leaned against it. He dropped the umbrella down on the ground as he stood under the overhang of the building.

Yuffie guessed he's trying to get out of the rain which wouldn't make much sense to go there considering he has an umbrella. The overhang didn't seem to do much since the rain still reached him with the wind blowing in his direction.

Yuffie gave another smile as she watched the rain drench him. His spiky hair was now flattened to his head now that it has the extra weight of the rain pulling it down. She imagined he had stood out in the rain like this countless times when he was traveling and searching. The difference being that he must have spent all those times standing in the rain alone.

The smile slowly away as she thought about it, after all, she can not imagine herself being alone and without Leon or Aerith for so long. Or Cid for that matter. She can't see how Cloud manage to deal with being alone for so long. And even though he had been alone for so long, and grew older with only himself to depend on to survive, tonight she had seen something.

She had seen parts of him show through what she's used to seeing of him. What came through the usual guarded and walled up person, she had seen glimpses of what he could have been; someone enjoying live with the people around him; joking and talking freely to others.

She found it sad that Cloud had turned out the way he did and it made her wonder if he would be different or more like what she saw glimpses of, if he had come with them when Hallow Bastion was taking by the Heartless. She took his appearance for what it told her.

Standing before her in the cold rain, stood Cloud, and for the first time she can actually read him fully. What she sees is a man in desperate need of light. Not the kind of light that he has been searching for, but a light of awakening; something to let him know that there are people around him that actually care and are there for him.

His form tells her of countless battles he fought on his own. His far away look within his eyes tell her his momentary remembrance of a friend and partner that stood by his side for some time until death's given hand came and took him away.

It's the first time Yuffie has actually cared enough to actually see what is going on exactly. Cloud is with them right now, but even though everyone is reunited and back together, he still seems alone. No one, not her, not Leon, Aerith, or Cid truly know who he is now. What's worse is that no one seems to be trying to do anything to figure out who Cloud is.

Yuffie realizes that it is difficult to know someone when that person doesn't seem to know who they are themselves. Cloud is under the assumption that he will not be himself unless he defeats this person he seeks.

When she thinks about the few moments she saw small glimpses of a different Cloud, Yuffie knows for a fact that Cloud is not lost in the darkness. He is merely so frightened that he is, that he feels the need to rid of every once of it in his heart. It's this fear he must not realize he has, for he lost himself in some sort of illusion.

It took a moment for Yuffie to realize to snap out of her reverie enough to realize that not only is she cold and shaking, but the trail of thought she had taken effected her more than she realized. It wasn't only raindrops trailing down her face anymore and she cursed herself for allowing herself to actually be affected so much.

She blessed the rain for the cover it gave because when she glanced back over to Cloud, he was staring at her. She didn't wipe her eyes since the rain would just wash it all away and she didn't want to give away that she had been crying, if only for a few passing moments.

She walked towards Cloud as his eyes remained locked on her. When she reached him she wasn't sure what it was she wanted to do in the first place. She's torn between turning back around and hugging him. Instead of either, she reached out and grabbed one of his hands in her own and held it. "Let's go home." She said loud enough for him to hear her over the rain pattering against the ground.

Cloud didn't give a response at first, nor did he make any indication of moving. He just remained in his place staring at her quietly. Each passing second made Yuffie feel more conscience about herself and she wondered if what he said about the rain is true, that it covers tears.

Finally, he gave a short nod to indicate that he was ready to leave. He pulled his hand free from both of hers and bent down to pick the umbrella up. He snapped it open and held it over Yuffie despite the fact that neither of them could get any more soaked then they already are.

Yuffie stepped closer and grasped his arm so they could both be shielded from the rain. She glanced back up to him and gave a small smile before they continued on their way home. She had to admit that the umbrella didn't hold much purpose for them, but it was nice to be out of the rain. She can still enjoy the rain just by watching it fall all around them.

Even when they are finally entering their home, Yuffie still enjoys the sound of the rain rattling on their rooftops. The thunder and lightening seemed to have passed over them once more, leaving just a soft rain shower in their wake. The small digital clock across the room read eleven thirty-seven, the red numbers glowing dully through the darkened room.

Yuffie waited a moment to watch Cloud set the umbrella in the closet before deciding she should head to bed. She took a few steps and found her shoes squish with each step. She didn't think much of it and continued on for a few more steps. It was only when Cloud's cold wet hand grasped around her arm did she stop.

Turning around to look at Cloud, Yuffie remained silent as he pointed over to the couch. The young ninja looked over to what he pointed at and found one arm tossed over the back of the couch as well as a head leaned back with long brown hair hanging back behind the couch. Sure enough, Leon was dead asleep to the world.

Yuffie knew immediately that something was wrong because Leon was the type to go to sleep early. 'Early to bed, early to rise' was his motto. Only on rare occasions did she find him up late at night.

Yuffie slipped off his sneakers while Cloud did the same with his boots. She held a finger across her lips to signal him to remain silent, although she doubted she needed to tell him that. She tip-toed across the floor in an attempt to remain silent, while her companion followed her with a normal stride.

Her legs were tucked up on the couch, pressed against the arm of it. Her arms were folded up in Leon's lap while her head was pressed against his chest. Her hair dropped across her shoulders and face to hide the content smile across her lips.

This image was one Yuffie had imagined herself to be tonight when she got back from her date with Cloud. He would go to bed and she would wander out into the living room to find Leon still up and watching some old late night movie. She would ask him why he was still up and he would just lie and say for no particular reason while the whole while the truth was that he couldn't sleep with the thought of her out with another man.

Then she would take a seat on the couch and watch the movie with him, and somewhere in the process she would start using him as a pillow as she drifted off to sleep.

When she saw Leon's head on the back of the couch, she had thought that maybe that image would come true if he wasn't already asleep. But a few problems accord immediately upon inspecting the couch. One, Leon was already asleep. And two, Aerith has seemed to have beaten her as she was in the place of what Yuffie had envisioned.

She averted her eyes toward Cloud who was also staring at the two blankly. "Should we wake them?" Yuffie asked quietly.

Cloud didn't remove his eyes from the scene in front of him, and Yuffie had a suspicion that he had his own image in his mind. One that he had hoped would play out or one that has already, a long time ago. She put her money on the latter. There was no doubt in her mind that Cloud was thinking about a time when him and Aerith used to be, back in Hallow Bastion.

"Why?" Cloud finally questioned, although Yuffie wasn't sure if he was questioning her idea of waking them, or questioning something else.

Cloud stood there for a few seconds longer and continued to stare down at the sleeping duo blankly before he moved his eyes to look up at Yuffie. He spared a glance at her before he turned away and headed towards his room.

In this moment more than any other, Yuffie wished she could read minds. She wanted to know exactly what was going on through Cloud's head, to get some answers as to how he felt towards everyone. Exactly what were Cloud Strife's thoughts about this small family of theirs?

Not only did she want answers from Cloud, but she wanted answers from Leon and Aerith as well. The empty boxes of Chinese Food told her that they had take out for dinner. This was the logical thing to do because there was no sense in cooking for four stomachs when only two were home to eat. The half eaten bowl of popcorn told her that they had both decided to watch a movie together afterwards.

Had they both been waiting for her and Cloud to come back, or were they using her and Cloud's absence as a time to spend some time alone? Questions and no answers it seemed for Yuffie. So she left the TV on in hopes that it would wake one of them up so they would leave the other, and she headed towards her own room.

Upon her door was another note taped on, one that Cloud must have taped on before he went to bed. She didn't see him do it, but she knew it had to have come from him. She read the note over and over again, the handwriting was his but she just found the note a little bit of a surprise.

She doesn't know how he expects her to do such a thing, and she doubted that she ever will. She wanted to head over to his room, knock on his door and demand how he knows, but she knew that all that would answer to her knocking was a door that wouldn't open.

So instead she went into her own room and decided she would worry about the note tomorrow. She had told Cloud that if he came up with something different for the bet that she would go through with it, and she'll have to find a way out of it.

As if losing to Cloud in the tournament wasn't enough. Now thanks to that bet, Cloud is telling her to… '_Tell Leon before it's too late.'_

Officially my longest chapter for probably any story I've ever written . The chapter itself is a whopping sixteen whole pages. So for all of you who have been asking me to make the chapters longer, here you go. Don't'Cha just love me?


	22. Beautiful Truths

Whoo… Sorry for the long ass wait everyone, my computer's hard drive overheated so I had to wait all this time to get it replaced. I tried using the other computer but Microsoft Works/Word freezes whenever you try doing anything on it. (Scowls) Well anyways, enough of that. I bring you the next installation of Jealousy. Sure enough you've waited long enough.

Dislcaimer- I do not own Kingdom Hearts

_Beautiful Truths_

One of the many things that people find out right away is that Yuffie is in no form or way, a morning person. What's worse is she can't stand morning people, especially the perky, I'm-so-ready-for-the-next-day type of morning people. However she had found a tolerance for people as such for she's had to deal with Aerith's bright outlook on a new day for many years now.

A normal went through Yuffie waking up, or rather being woken up and dragged out of her room; walking into the kitchen. Aerith would then greet her with her usual 'Good Morning' way too cheery for any morning. Yuffie would then nod her head and give a half attempted smile before falling back asleep on the kitchen table until breakfast was served to her.

However…

On the not-so-normal mornings, like today, Yuffie found herself pacing about her bedroom long before anyone attempts to wake her up. This of course leaves the person sent to wake her up in a state of confusion because with past experiences, nothing went well in any day that Yuffie Kisaragi is awake before her twelve o'clock mark.

So what had gotten Yuffie on edge? Cloud's note of course. He had one upped her with it. If Cloud knew her plan, then why was there a reason to continue with it? And once more, Yuffie had gathered a small strand of courage to actually confront Leon, all she had to do is belittle her petty little conscience that is trying to reason with her about not doing anything.

'Hey Leon, Guess what?' Yuffie cringed at that even before she finished it. She had been trying to figure out exactly how to go about telling Leon her feelings. "Gawd! Even when he's not present he has to be a jackass." She had been just about fed up with trying to actually get out of her room, forget about trying to find Leon and say something.

"All I have to do is walk right up to him, and just say it. Yeah… that's all. It'll work…" She puffed up her chest, gathering all her courage up before she stepped over to her door and opened it up. She let out all the air in her chest when Aerith was found standing right outside her door, hand posed to knock on her door.

Aerith stood there for a few moments, stuck in that position, no doubt in shock that Yuffie had managed to crawl out of her bed early enough for it to be considered morning. "Oh… Good morning Yuffie." She finally greeted her friend before letting her hand drop to the side, "Breakfast is ready."

"Where's Leon?" Was Yuffie's immediate response.

Aerith turned around and headed back towards the kitchen, throwing out the answer over her shoulder, "Training with Cloud."

Yuffie smacked herself.

For some reason, both Leon and Cloud didn't have the heart to actually take the fight seriously enough to gain much from it. For Leon, he felt a little defeated while Cloud felt a little guilty for keeping a secret from him involving Yuffie and him. Something Cloud hoped and prayed that Yuffie would tell Leon soon enough. The longer the wait, the more it would hurt him in the end, at least that's what Cloud figured.

Then there was Aerith thrown in the mix somewhere. In the past, Cloud had indeed been with her. It wasn't a long relationship in the fact that it had only just begun when the heartless invaded Hallow Bastion and they were forced to split up. The main reason they weren't together sooner was because Cloud was a bit of a coward back then, and didn't have the backbone to actually ask Aerith out. In fact it was Aerith who asked him if he was interested; he never went about making the first move.

The thought made Cloud smile somewhat before giving a one sound laugh, one that Leon did not miss. The Gunblader stopped in mid-strike and let his weapon rest, "What are you finding so amusing?" He immediately questioning.

The blonde shook his head at the thought before giving his two word answer, "Old times." The reply somehow made Leon smile slightly as well. It was a subject that would bring any one of them happiness, or grief. It was where they were all raised, and at the same time where they lost everyone.

Cloud walked over to the wall of the underground cavern that resided underneath Merlin's house and rested his Buster Sword against the wall. He turned around and leaned against the side of the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Leon ended up mimicking the swordsman's actions and waited for the blonde to speak, knowing something was about to be spoken.

"What happened back then?" Cloud questioned suddenly.

The question itself came a bit of a surprise to Leon, Cloud never seemed interested in discussing the past with anyone. He was never one to share his thoughts on the subject, then again, neither was Leon, "The heartless attacked, we escaped." It was such a simple answer to a much more complicated question.

"I mean… what happened to all of you when you left? Where did you go?" Cloud questioned not turning his gaze away from a single point on the wall across from him.

"We wandered around in the gummi ship for awhile until we came across Traverse Town. We stayed here ever since. We didn't have any other place to go to." Leon shrugged his shoulders as he answered, he didn't see the importance of the question.

"How did everyone react?"

Leon turned his head and looked at Cloud to grace him with a raised eyebrow, arching up to his hairline. "Why are you asking?" He finally asked, "You were there, it doesn't matter, it's in the past."

"Would it have been better if I was there with everyone?" Cloud questioned and after a moment's hesitation he added to the question, "Or was it better that I stayed away?"

"If you need to ask, I'm not giving you an answer." The Gunblader replied sounding a bit irritated, obviously he didn't like these types of conversations.

"… Would it have been better if I never even showed up here? I should have just stayed away." Cloud lowered his gaze towards the ground looking as though he felt guilty about something. Leon was about to open his mouth when Cloud spoke once more, "I have a confession to make…"

What he said, was something Leon never expected to here from the man.

"Hey Aerith?"

"Yes Yuffie?"

"Can I ask you a question without you thinking anything about what I ask you?"

Aerith sat there silent for a few moments across from Yuffie from inside the kitchen. Obviously she had to take her time in trying to understand what it was Yuffie had meant when she just spoke. Slowly she nodded her head as she collected her thoughts, "Of course Yuffie."

"What does it feel like… when you're in love?" Yuffie cursed herself from the heat she could feel rushing to her face. It would figure she couldn't ask a simple question without getting embarrassed about it.

The look of surprise crossed Aerith's features at the question, apparently not having been expecting such a question coming from the young shinobi. "Why ask me?" Was her only reply.

Yuffie swallowed her gut, and had to force herself to reply to the question, "You were in love with Cloud, weren't you? Or still are. Or you did but not anymore or something along the lines of it." The words were rushed, and flowed out of her mouth more than she could process them in her brain. It was her nature instinct to try and cover up an embarrassing moment by speaking immensely. It was just a small habit she had picked up throughout her years of trying to get herself out of trouble.

To Aerith's credit, she didn't turn red, or blush at all like Yuffie assumed she would. All she did was give that small giggle of hers that she uses after hearing something she thinks is remotely silly. "I did love Cloud, I still do." The ninja waited for anything else to come and Aerith continued, "Just the same as I love all of you. You're all my family."

Yuffie groaned and slouched in her chair. In times like these, it was hopeless to try and talk to Aerith for her train of logic only confused Yuffie more than helped. "Aerith… can you just give me some sort of answer that helps me? Even the slightest bit?"

The flower girl placed a finger on her chin and stared upwards in thought, "Well… I guess the simplest way to figure out if you are in love with someone…" She paused for a moment before continuing, "Is that the feeling makes you feel full inside. Get it?"

Yuffie slowly nodded her head, "Full inside… like after eating type of full?"

Aerith sighed and dropped her head into the palm of her hand, "Yuffie… the best way to find out if you love someone is to notice what you feel when you are around them."

Yuffie's P.O.V

_Notice what I feel when I'm around someone? What a loud of crock that was. I can't believe Aerith was trying to make me believe that's how you figure anything out. Sigh… Okay so now I'm at a complete loss. On one hand I have the oh so sexy, leather clad Leon with his long brown hair and kick ass leather vest… Mmm Leon…_

_And on the other hand there's Cloud. Stoic, quiet, shy Cloud. A wannabe demon with a wing and sword all in this package of bipolar-ness. He's a trapped little boy who is in desperate need of awakening to see me in all my beauty in front of him. Yeah… Sure. Basically bipolar sums it all up for Cloudy._

_Cloud and Leon… It would help if both of them didn't have the personality of a rock. Leon's always like 'Whatever…' And Cloud is just, '….' I could strangle both of them sometimes but I know I give my fair share of annoyance by filling the empty silence with my lovely voice._

_GAWD! I'm not getting anywhere with this. Since when did I start liking Cloud to begin with? I never said I agreed to the idea, I was plainly out for Leon the entire time. But Cloud… that jackass has to be so… so… Ugh. I don't even know what it is that made me like him in the first place._

_I'm almost pretty sure that I'm in love with Leon, I have to be. I've had such a schoolgirl crush on him since I was thirteen. Cloud just happened to be nice eye candy lately, that's all. It's nothing more than infatuation. Yeah… There I solved that problem. I love Leon, I have to be, I can't have it any other way. _

_But now that I know that, how do I go about doing anything about it? I've been trying to get him to notice me, or become jealous through Cloud. What a bright idea that was first off. But at least my hard work has paid off, kind of, somewhat… in a way. I should tell Squallie… before I lose all nerve that I've managed to gather up. _

_First I have to find him, and sitting around on my lazy arse on the couch all day isn't going to get me anywhere. Grabbing what I need, my sneakers, I was ready for action. Which included skipping down the streets of Traverse Town, even the light rain wasn't going to kill my nerves. I had to hold firm to my courage if I wanted to get through this embarrassment. Oh gawd…. I'm going to die…_

--

Normal- P.O.V.

It didn't take long for Yuffie to find Leon, he was heading back home when she left the place. It only took two minutes for Yuffie to come across him, which was just long enough for everything Yuffie had planned out on what to say to go flying out the window, but not long enough for her to lose all her nerve to at least try to come about saying something.

"Hiya Squall!" Yuffie greeted with a wave, trying to act as normal as possible.

"It's Leon…" Leon replied quickly. He never took his eyes off of her, and it unnerved her, she had never seen him look so worried before, "Yuffie…" He started but the young ninja cut her off.

She held up her hand and shook her head quickly, "No let me talk first before I lose my guts." She could already feel her face growing hotter. Apparently it was already visible as well because Leon began looking at her with that look that you knew meant Are-you… okay?

"Um… Leon…Uh.. you see." Yuffie giggled slightly as she tried to force herself to say something, anything that would let him know how she felt. She had her hands folded in front of her and her gaze was locked with the ground. This was her chance; all she had to do was to just say something, anything that will tell Leon.

'Come on Yuffie, say something damnit! Oh the hell with this.' Yuffie never was one for being able to intelligently say something. She was more 'Go at it, ask questions later' type of girl. So she did the one thing that would help her in the current situation.

She reached up and grabbed Leon by the collar of his jacket and yanked him down, which was harder then you think since Leon was strong and it required a lot of effort to pull him down. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his to show him what she meant.

She could have died right then and there. She felt strangely light on her feet. It would have been even better if Leon responded at all, but he was in such shot at what Yuffie just did that he just stood there through the moment until Yuffie pulled away. Once she was away from him and her hands no longer grasped his jacket, she stared long and hard at the ground. She waited for Leon to say something; anything to tell her it was alright, that he felt the same. It was all him now, she couldn't do anything now. She did what she could, and the ball was hit over to Leon's side of the court.

"He's leaving."

"Wh-what?" Yuffie managed to reply, though her throat was tightened so much she almost choked on the word. She glanced up at Leon in confusing, trying to get what he was saying.

The Gunblader crossed his arms over his chest and looked off to the side, looking as irritable as ever. There were no outward signs that told him that he felt anything about what just happened. He was just the same as he ever was. If Yuffie wasn't curious as to what he was talking about, she would have turned and ran away right there.

"That's what I tried telling you." He replied, "Cloud's leaving."

"What?" Yuffie nearly shouted in shock.

Leon walked around her and made his way back towards the apartment, "He's probably on Cid's gummi ship already. I have to tell Aerith for him."

Yuffie didn't hear the last part, she was already taking off towards Traverse Town's gates. 'He can't be going. No he's not going, I won't let him go. That bastard can't just up and leave me here. I haven't gotten the chance to even scrape off the long stretch of years of bugging him I need to make up. And I still need to figure out why the hell he left in the first place. No he can't leave, I won't let him. There will be hell to pay from the Great Ninja Yuffie when I get my hands on him. I'm going to strangle him."

Yuffie wasn't really aware that she was on the brink of tears. The gentle rain didn't even seem to catch her attention. She just continued to race like a made dog, feet splashing in the puddles on the streets as she continued to run cross town. She had to get there on time, and stop him. She didn't want him to leave everyone again, he's family, he's… Cloud.

Her heart was beating in her chest so rapidly she thought it had moved to settle inside her throat. She finally reached the gates and immediately rushed out of them and there the gummi ship was, lifting up off the ground. She raced towards it waving her hands out at it, trying to gain their attention. She could see Cloud sitting in the seat next to Cid on the ship.

Cid was the first one to notice her and he nudged Cloud. The blonde slowly turned his head and looked down at her, and she stopped moving, and stared straight up at him. Her cheeks were wet, a mixture of tears and rain mingling together on her face. "Don't go…" She didn't shot it, merely whispered as if Cloud would here it.

He just continued to stare at her, and finally he moved. His endless blue swirls never left her grey-ish eyes as he raised a single arm and waved. The ship took off into the air, leaving Yuffie standing outside of the gates. One moment Cloud was there, and the next he was gone once more.

The young ninja fell to her knees and hid her face in her hands. She couldn't believe it, Cloud was gone. Her shoulders rocked rapidly as that realization came to her. Cloud was gone, and she didn't even know where he went or if he'd be coming back. 'You big stupid jackass. Why did you have to leave?'

She glanced up from her hands, eyes turned to the sky. It was that day that she started to stare up at the sky each and every night afterwards. Waiting for Cloud to come back, however no matter how long she stared up to the sky Cloud didn't seem to come back. Not with Cid three days later when the pilot returned to wherever it was he dropped Cloud off. Not a week later of being gone. And he wasn't there when they all packed up their things and left for Hallow Bastion once more, this time with the intent of restoring it.

Cloud never came back, and Yuffie's heart ached each day that he was gone. She had made the mistake in getting accustomed of his quiet presence that was always close by. And now that he was gone, she wanted nothing more than for him to come back. Yuffie had chosen the easy approach and had chosen Leon, if only for a few moments. But that had gone wrong from the moment she went to him. The Gunblader never brought the subject up, and neither did Yuffie.

Yuffie got a first hand experience to know that not all stories end with a happy ending. Not everyone lives happily ever after. Fairytales don't exist in her life, and things happen to make things 'Peachy Clean'. But for some stories that don't always end the way everyone wants, it opens a door to a whole new story. And Yuffie knew somewhere along the lines, Cloud would be part of that story, and it would be there that she would get a second chance.

Then End.

Yes, The End. This story is done. Yep, you heard me. Tis finished! Can you believe it? I bet you can't AHAHAHA Not what you expected of an ending eh? Yeah, it kind of sucks. I haven't written in awhile, and this whole chapter was a bit off of what I originally planned. But this will have to do. But I needed to finish this story though so I could start on the sequel. Yep, the sequel. So keep an eye out on it ladies and gentlemen, and maybe. Just maybe, that one will end the way to everyone's satisfaction.

Thank you everyone for being patient with me, and for some of you, thank you for helping move the story along. Thanks for everyone who reviewed. It gives me pleasure to know that people enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Adieu!


End file.
